The Sakumono Ramsar Site is facing renewed and intensified encroachment following a temporary suspension of demolition exercises by the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (GRCC).
A visit by The Ghanaian Times yesterday revealed a surge in construction activity, with new structures rapidly emerging as masons and carpenters worked at a brisk pace.
The encroachment has spread beyond previously cleared areas into the core basin of the protected wetland, raising fresh concerns about its protection and ecological integrity.
Even bold “Stop Work” notices, painted in red by the Tema West Municipal Assembly, appeared to have been ignored.
Some residents told The Ghanaian Times they were aware of earlier demolition exercises but felt compelled to continue building due to the high cost of land reportedly acquired from traditional authorities.
A developer, who gave his name only as Jonathan, argued that rather than demolishing structures, government should consider a planned development approach that would allow controlled residential use alongside tourism activities within the Ramsar enclave.
Meanwhile, the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council has announced fresh plans to demolish all unauthorised structures within the wetland.
The exercise, which is to be undertaken in the coming days by the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) in collaboration with the Forestry Commission and the Tema West Municipal Assembly, will target illegal developments within the core zone of the site.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Ms Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, announced the decision at the first statutory RCC meeting for 2026 in Accra, saying it followed intelligence reports of renewed encroachment despite earlier directives halting all activities in the enclave.
She noted that the Sakumono Ramsar Site, designated under the Ramsar Convention in 1992, has shrunk from about 13 square kilometres to 8.2 square kilometres due to rapid urbanisation, illegal construction and waste dumping.
Ms Ocloo warned developers and prospective land users to stay off the site, stressing that continued encroachment threatens its ecological functions, including flood control and water purification, which are critical to surrounding communities.
She further explained that the RCC operates under Article 255 of the 1992 Constitution and the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936), which mandate it to coordinate and harmonise development across the region. She added that statutory meetings, held at least twice a year, are used to assess progress and set development priorities.
On regional security, she said Greater Accra remained generally stable but continued to face challenges such as land and chieftaincy disputes, environmental degradation and encroachment on protected sites.
On sanitation, she commended the Ga East Municipal Assembly for its 24-hour Clean Ga East Programme and urged other assemblies to replicate the initiative to improve environmental cleanliness across the region.
Ms Ocloo also expressed concern over poor street lighting in parts of the region, warning that assemblies that fail to address the issue would be publicly named to ensure accountability, given its implications for safety and the 24-hour economy agenda.
On health, she highlighted the government’s Free Primary Healthcare Initiative as a key intervention towards achieving universal health coverage by removing financial barriers to basic healthcare access.
She also announced the introduction of a Monthly Farmers’ Market by the RCC to link farmers directly to consumers, reduce post-harvest losses and strengthen the agricultural value chain.
The Minister said the RCC had adopted a new approach of identifying and addressing key operational gaps at each statutory meeting to improve coordination and deliver more practical development outcomes across the region.
BY STEPHANIE BIRIKORANG
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