Demolition at Sakumono Ramsar site: A necessary evil
The wailing and gnashing of teeth that characterised Tuesday’s demolition exercise undertaken across the Sakumono Ramsar site once again brought to the fore the traumatic picture of losing years of investment.
For many, it was years of sweat and toil reduced to rubbles, homes scrupulously built over years, now swept away in a flash of light.
Underlining the devastation, however, it is the real issue of enforcement of the rules and environmental sustainability which is expected to take precedent over unlawful development.
The demolition of over 100 illegal structures at the Ramsar site by the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (GARCC), in collaboration with NADMO, the Forestry Commission, and various municipal authorities, is not only a bold decision but a necessary step.
The wetland, designated for environmental protection, for years have been under attack by developers desecrating what is supposed to be not just a holy sanctuary for migratory birds, but also a receptacle for runoff before easing it into the ocean gradually.
This act of enforcement, albeit traumatic, underscores the importance of safeguarding ecologically sensitive areas, especially in a region grappling with perennial flooding.
The Sakumono Ramsar site, like many other wetlands in the country, plays a critical role in flood control, water purification, and biodiversity conservation and the continued encroachment by recalcitrant developers has come at a great cost to lives, livelihoods, and urban resilience.
Once again, the ongoing rains in the national capital have exposed the fragility of our urban planning and the need to act urgently to reset it to ensure environmental harmony and sustainability.
The Ghanaian Times, therefore, commend the city authorities for once again responding with action instead of rhetoric.
However, we are quick to caution that this must be a sustained exercise which must be seen through its logical conclusion.
While we fully support the renewed vigour deployed in righting the wrongs and also the desire to safeguard our ecology, we are equally concerned about the years of neglect by duty bearers.
For us, this crackdown raises uncomfortable questions that demand honest answers. How were individuals able to build such extensive structures; some reportedly with permits without early intervention from regulatory bodies? Who looked the other way while wetlands were paved over?
The Ghanaian Times is more than supportive of the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mrs Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo’s promise to investigate allegations complicity of officialdom. However, we hope the investigations would go beyond the humdrum committee report.
Ghanaians deserve full transparency and accountability, and where evidence of collusion between public servants and illegal developers is established, we believe heads must roll- not just of those who constructed illegally, but also of those who enabled the impunity.
Short of sounding alarmist, we also plead with the authority to situate its enforcement with some level of compassion given that many of the affected feign ignorance.
The Ghanaian Times believes that even though the law must be upheld, future exercises must be accompanied by thorough public education, legal aid, and clear relocation or compensation mechanisms, particularly where state failure may have contributed to the illegality.
Once again we wave our flags high for the GARCC for the fortitude and tenacity to deal with this monstrous canker which is gradually eating us up.
We cannot build a resilient Accra on a foundation of indiscipline and selective enforcement. The demolition at Sakumono must not be merely about breaking walls, but must also be about rebuilding trust in our institutions and reaffirming that environmental protection is not optional.
The pain of today may be bitter, but if it steers us back onto a path of lawful, sustainable urban development, it will not have been in vain.
