A THREE-BEDROOM self-contained house belonging to the Assembly Member for Lashibi Electoral Area in the Tema West Municipality of the Greater Accra Region, Shaibu A. Kabore has been pulled down upon the orders of the Regional Minister, Henry Quartey.
The building is said to be on waterway and causing flooding in the area whenever it rains.
Recently, the Regional Minister ordered the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to pull down a structure erected on a waterway at Lashibi.
The building and washing bay have been under construction since 2020, restricting the free flow of water in the community.
During a visit to the site by the Minister and a joint team of police and NADMO officials last week, the minister ordered authorities at the assembly to ensure the structure is demolished by Wednesday to prevent flooding in the area.
“The Engineer has said he has not authorised this structure to be here. I do not have a problem when people are building but especially with the rains about to set in, we cannot allow these things to go on. NADMO, you will get the machines, National Security will assist you, and it has to go down,” he ordered.
Meanwhile, the Municipal Engineer of the Tema West Assembly (TWMA), Vincent Blah Quarshie, said several attempts to halt the construction of the washing bay have proved futile.
Interestingly, after pulling down the supposed washing bay last week when the three bedrooms structure said to be the property of the Assembly Member behind the washing bay was also detected hence its demolition on Monday.
Speaking with the media after the demolition exercise, the Regional Minister mentioned that his steps were to ensure that sanity was brought back to the Region.
“I visited the Ramsar site areas and in the cause of it, I noticed that there’s a washing bay so I asked the NADMO and the Assembly to demolish unauthorised buildings by exercising its functions and powers as backed by the law.
“So same was carried out and the washing bay was demolished. Only for my attention to be drawn to a building behind the washing bay. It was a beautiful building belonging to an assembly member. And we don’t want to do selective justice so they should proceed and demolish it too though it belongs to assembly member in order to be fair since he is a leader and leadership is by example.
He served notice that “the people are saying he can’t do it but what I want to say is that the train has taken off and you are the passenger so when it gets to your place and its on waterways then I can assure you that the train will stop. This must serve as deterrent to all.
The minister commended the assembly member for his understanding and maturity.
He debunked speculations that his outfit demolished the structures, saying that “the Regional Minister doesn’t got that power but the assembly that got that power.”
Responding to demolition of his building, the Assembly Member said “I don’t want anyone to tarnish the image of the President and the Greater Accra Regional Minister who are working hard to change the Region.
“I have accepted that my house should be demolished in order not be impediment to the good work of the Greater Accra Regional Minister and President.
“I am serving as an example that my house should be demolished to serve as deterrent to others who have built on waterways in the country and it is improper for the house not to be demolished to cause flooding which could take life and properties.”
The Tema Metropolitan Director of NADMO has also recommended the demolition of unauthorised structures around the Tema Community 7 Post Office because of the risk they pose to life and property.
The Tema NADMO Director stated that the structures were constructed indiscriminately to obstruct the free flow of water.
NADMO urged the Tema city authorities to pull down the structures to avert a possible disaster in the future.
—citinewsroom
