Residents in the La Nkwantanang Madina municipality who have constructed structures on waterways have been given a one-week ultimatum to remove them or have themselves to blame.
The Municipal Chief Executive, Madam Jennifer Dede Afagbedzi gave the ultimatum when she inspected desilting works of major drains in flood-prone areas in the municipality on Friday.
The project undertaken by the assembly in collaboration with the Greater Accra Regional Directorate of the National Disaster Management Organisation sought to adequately prepare the channels before the onset of the rains.
When the inspecting team visited the area, the bulldozers had already cleared the Maye-Hot, Grace Baptist Church area and the swan clinic areas, but could not access other areas due to the construction of illegal structures on and along the waterways.
The MCE not happy about the development advised the owners to remove them or have them demolished.
According to Madam Afagbedzi, human activities had led to the chocking of the drains thus leading to the constant flooding of some parts of the municipality adding that the structures that block the channels would be demolished to allow the free flow of water.
She stated that the equipment were hired at a huge cost and had to complete work on schedule to allow them to move to other municipalities.
The MCE said a lot of sensitisation would be done to adequately prepare owners of the illegal structures before they are demolished.
Mrs Afagbedzi indicated that the equipment would also be used to undertake road maintenance works to give the area a facelift and warned that any official caught engaging in any illegality would be severely sanctioned adding, “The assembly would use the local governance bye-laws to implement the President’s vision of making Accra the neatest and safest city in Africa.”
The Deputy Greater Accra Regional Director of NADMO, Mr Evans Anakwa, said his outfit decided to partner the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDA’s) to undertake the project to forestall unforeseen circumstances during the upcoming raining season.
The perennial flooding experienced in parts of the country, he explained would be avoided if the residents collaborate with the assemblies to continuously keep their environment clean.
Mr Anakwa said NADMO does not demolish buildings but could only advise the assemblies when they notice that the sighting of a particular building pose danger to the community.
BY LAWRENCE VOMAFA – AKPALU
