In a bid to make Accra cleaner and more orderly, Mayor Michael Kpakpo Allotey has personally overseen the removal of unauthorized structures along major streets and government-reserved lands across the city. The exercise is part of ongoing efforts to improve sanitation and ensure smoother movement for residents.
The cleanup targeted key areas including the Awudome Cemetery stretch, Awudome Roundabout, the fascia of the Royal House Chapel, North Kaneshie Last Stop, and the Tuesday Market.
While at the Tuesday Market, Mayor Allotey also checked on efforts to evacuate solid waste and desilt drains, making it easier for traders and shoppers to navigate the area. He encouraged residents to participate, saying, “The Assembly will conduct a comprehensive clean-up exercise during the upcoming National Sanitation Day activities, therefore all members around its environs should prepare towards it.”
This storey building in Tse Addo was affected by the demolition exercise carried out by the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) earlier today. While the action may be necessary to prevent flooding and protect lives, it also forces us to confront uncomfortable questions about our national planning culture. How did a building of this magnitude end up in a waterway without early intervention? Who is responsible for ensuring that waterways are protected and that building regulations are enforced before construction begins? Are local assemblies, physical planning departments, and other regulatory bodies doing enough, or are these failures the result of negligence and poor coordination? Demolition may solve an immediate danger, but it does not address the systemic lapses that allowed the problem to exist in the first place. For those affected, the consequences are severe. For the country, it highlights weak enforcement and accountability. Until we prioritise proactive planning, consistent supervision, and responsibility at every level, exercises like this will remain a recurring feature of our national story. — Kpeshie lagoon. news demolishing
