Deputy Lands Minister orders demolition of illegal structures at hazard-prone areas

George Mireku Duker, the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources has halted all illegal sand-winning activities at Weija Hills in the Weija-Gbawe Municipality of the Greater Accra Region and issued a directive to the municipal assembly to demolish all illegal structures immediately.

The Deputy Minister after a working visit to the place on Wednesday, May 18,

Read full article2022, expressed shock and concern over illegal developments at the place.

He said it has become necessary for the Ministry to take decisive, pragmatic and proactive steps to avert ‘a reoccurrence of Appiatse”.

According to him, the area has been declared as an earth-quake prone area and should have no human settlement adding that the Ministry is going to clampdown on all activities ongoing at the place.

Hon. George Mireku Duker also issued a directive for all ongoing projects at the place to cease immediately.

He emphasized that with the data from the Ghana Geological Survey prohibiting any form of human activities at the place, the Ministry has the legal backing to embark on the demolition to save lives and properties.

“It is important caution those here to move because if they experience earthquake, it will not be good. It is a very worrying situation and no technical architectural solution could solve this so I wonder why they could invest their monies into this things. It’s a very unfortunate situation but we want to ask those with intentions of building here to stop immediately”, he said.

“We are going to pull down these buildings because we would not allow another Appiatse to happen in this area. If it happens, government will be blamed so we are going to take pragmatic steps to ensure that those living here are protected. “

Hon. Mireku Duker also ordered the arrest of all property owners on the land for disregarding the country’s laws.

“Unfortunately, we met buildings here but I asked their whereabout and they could not locate them them but I have asked that they are arrested and sent to the nearest police station,” he said.

The tour by the Hon. Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources follows a presentation by the Ghana Geological Survey Authority on the dangers associated with the place.

In a meeting earlier this year, the GGSA warned that the nation could be in for another disaster if drastic measures are not taken to guard the place and protect it from encroachment.