The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey has warned that individuals still undertaking construction works on the SakumonoRamsar site at Klagon in Tema will be prosecuted and made to pay the cost for demolition if they do not halt their illegal activities.
“No one will be spared so everyone must take note of that. There will be no compromise whatsoever so if you have paid monies to certain people and for that matter you think you can go ahead with projects, go back for your monies. After pulling down the structures under construction, we will make them pay the amount used for the demolition and ensure they are prosecuted,” he stressed.
The Minister gave the warning on Wednesday during a stakeholder meeting with landlords and traditional authorities of Tema and Nungua, on the SakumonoRamsar site in line with the decision to regularise some completed buildings in the area.
He said the meeting was also necessitated to further explain to the illegal dwellers on the site, why are gularisation process had been initiated for homes and buildings that had been identified to be out of the core zones of the site and the fact that all uncompleted structures would be pulled down.
To that effect, a committee of ministers, some state agencies including the Lands Commission and representatives of the landlords, he said, would be setup too versee and monitor the regularisation process.
Explaining, he said in spite of everything, the government had the interest of all Ghanaians at heart and would not look on for activities that could cause disasters like flooding in the near future, to continue, without taking drastic measures.
He mentioned that as part of the regularisation process, all authentic building documents must be submitted to the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, after which they would be forwarded to the local government ministry for approval.
“Ramsar is a very sensitive issue and we need to do all we can to preserve the ecological state of the SakumonoRamsar site. I urge you all to cooperate with us so that we can bring these problems to an end for the betterment of Ghana,” he said.
MrQuartey also advised engineers at the Tema West Assembly to desist from issuing building permits to persons claiming to own lands at the Ramsar sites.
The Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Benito Owusu Bio on his part said the process of regularisation entailed alot, as investigations must be conducted to know the real owners of the properties and how they came by the lands.
This, he said would take at least six months to ascertain.
He mentioned that the traditional authorities would be engaged further, to ensure a smooth regularisation process.
“We will take ourtime and ensure we do not touch buildings that are not within the core areas. We do not take pleasure in inconveniencing anyone but the right thing must be done that is why we are not leaving out the traditional authorities in all our engagements,” he added.
BY RAISSA SAMBOU
