A joint operational task force from three municipal assemblies yesterday issued a final notice to property owners who had encroached on the buffer zone of the Kpeshielagoonby filling the place with sand and stones to allow them put up structures, thereby destroying the ecosystem of the area.
The tasks force drawn from the La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly (LADMA), Ledzokuku Municipal Assembly (LEKMA) and Ayawaso North Municipal Assembly gave the encroachers up to September 30, 2021 to vacate the land or face demolition.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Henry Quarter, directed the assemblies to ensure those having buildings in the buffer zone to remove their properties and vacate the place before the demolition exercise date.
The vacation of the land by the encroachers would pave the way for the dredging of the lagoon and planting of trees, which form part of the ‘Make Accra work’ project initiated by the minister.
The encroachers, some of whom had been operating supermarket, automobile, pubs and eateries, had filled the buffer zone with sand and stones to erect their structures.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for LADMA, Mr Solomon Kotey Nikoi, explained that the joint operation was to ensureall the assemblies under whose jurisdiction falls the Kpeshie Lagoon partook in the exercise.
He said after several warnings to the encroachers, some of them claimed the assemblies had issued them the permit to operate there, hence their refusal to vacate the place.
The MCE for LEKMA, Mrs Evelyn Twum-Gyamrah, said the speed at which some businessmen were erected structures in the Kpeshie buffer zone was alarming.
She saidalthough LEKMA had also not issued anypermit to those operating businesses in the zone, they keptgiving the excuse that they had permits from the assemblies.
“Now, we are all here, so they can show us which municipal assembly issued them the permit.
“They have up to September30, 2021 to remove their properties before the demolition. We cannot allow anybody or persons to take the law into their hands,” Mrs Twum-Gyamrah said.
The Head of Works Department for LEKMA, Mr Richard Kofi Nuamah, said the necessary action was needed to prevent people from encroaching in the Kpeshiewetland.
The encroachers, however, said the deadline was too close and so pleaded that the time should be extended since they had been paying GHc¢600 annually as a token to the chiefs who gave them the land for temporary use.
BY BERNARD BENGHAN
