A road and building consultant, Ing. Abdulai Mahama, has commended the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Ocloo, and her team for the ongoing demolition of structures encroaching on the Kepshie Lagoon, describing the exercise as a necessary step to avert recurring floods in the capital.
Ing. Mahama questioned the persistent disregard for natural water bodies, noting that the reclamation of lagoons, streams, and ponds has significantly increased Ghana’s vulnerability to flooding.
He explained that such water bodies serve as natural buffers during periods of heavy rainfall, gradually releasing excess water and protecting surrounding communities.
According to him, the ongoing filling and consumption of wetlands and lagoons have left many urban areas exposed to severe inundation, and he stressed that enforcement actions such as the Kpeshie Lagoon demolitions are critical to safeguarding lives and property.
“Thumbs up to the Greater Accra Regional Minister and the team for what they are doing. I don’t know the persistence with which Ghanaians move to fill lakes, streams and ponds. It looks like we don’t want them, yet the benefit of rivers and ponds is that, when we have a large volume of water, they accommodate it and release it gradually into the surrounding dry land.
“But the more we consume these lakes and wetlands, the more we expose ourselves to massive floods that will inundate the country. On this call, I want to applaud the Minister,” he said.
The demolition exercise is being carried out by the Greater Accra Regional Security Council, in collaboration with National Security and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), targeting temporary and unauthorised structures along the lagoon.
Director-General of NADMO, Dr Joseph Bikanyi Kuyon, has maintained that the state will not allow the interests of a few individuals to undermine the safety and welfare of the larger population, especially in flood-prone areas.
Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Ocloo, also told journalists that owners of the affected structures had been served with several notices, dating back to the beginning of January, urging them to vacate the area before the commencement of the demolition exercise.
