By Patrick Biddah
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Ocloo, on Thursday, April 10, 2025, led a demolition exercise at the Dansoman Ramsar site, where several unauthorized structures were pulled down.
The operation, which was heavily guarded by armed security personnel, forms part of a broader plan by the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) to sanitize and protect Accra’s reserved lands and vegetative cover from illegal encroachment.
A total of a dozen unapproved structures were demolished—many of which were still under construction, with some at the lintel level. Surprisingly, the exercise faced no resistance from developers or occupants.
Observers noted that the arrest of one individual appeared to discourage any attempts at interference or appeals.
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Preliminary investigations revealed that none of the developers had secured building permits from the relevant local assemblies, making the exercise the first in a series of planned demolitions across the region.
Before the demolition at Dansoman, Minister Ocloo, and her entourage visited the Mallam/Weija Ramsar site to assess the progress of a land reclamation directive.
A private developer, Caitec Group, had previously been ordered to remove illegal filling materials from the land. However, the company had failed to begin the required work.
The General Manager of Caitec Group, Felix Amuzu, attributed the delay to a lack of appropriate payload equipment.
This explanation did not sit well with the Minister, who expressed disappointment and vowed to return with government-provided equipment to carry out the work—after which the company would be surcharged for all costs incurred.
At the Weija-Gbawe Municipal Assembly, the Minister, was received by the Municipal Coordinating Director, Mr Bernard Yingura. He cited logistical and manpower constraints as the primary reasons the Assembly had been unable to prevent encroachment on the Ramsar site.
Minister Ocloo, visibly displeased by the explanation, announced plans to establish a dedicated taskforce to monitor and prevent further encroachment.
She reiterated that no compensation would be given to anyone affected by the demolition, emphasizing that the land is protected and any unauthorized development is illegal.
