Legal action to stop construction on waterways in the offing - Henry Quartey

An immediate injunction from the court to ensure that all structures under construction on waterways in Accra is in the offing, confirms the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey.

Henry Quartey made this known during his visit to the Kpeshie Lagoon in the La Dade-Kotopon Municipality during which he ordered the demolition of structures on waterways.

Some of these structures had been mounted on the banks of the lagoon.

So far, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and Ablekuma West Municipal Assembly have threatened the demolishing of buildings on waterways in an attempt to limit the potential impact of flooding, even as the country gets into the rainy season soon.

The Accra minister has, therefore, cautioned building developers engaged in such acts to refrain from it as he seeks legal redress on the menace.

“I will seek the advice of the Attorney General as a matter of urgency to place an injunction on all buildings springing up on waterways.

“That will allow the assemblies to now begin to conduct an investigation as to which of them have actually encroached into the waterways and the Ramsar site,” he explained.

The Member of Parliament for Ayawaso Central also cautioned that, “This is just a caution to developers. Hopefully, very soon, we will secure an injunction on all buildings and structures that are in the waterways and all illegal or unauthorized structures. Once we get that injunction, anyone who attempts to build, we will get the police to arrest them for contempt.”

That aside, in 2018, the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) stated that it was seeking legal backing in demolishing all structures on waterways in the capital.

By that, a drafted Legislative Instrument was to be sent to Parliament to receive the necessary endorsement to make the exercise acceptable by law.