Tackle unauthorised structures in our communities

The erection of illegal structures on government lands, in forest reserves and even on wetlands has become the norm in the country.

Sadly, our authorities, be they the assemblies, the Lands Commission, the Water Resources Commission, spatial planning authorities, among other institutions, look on helplessly as developers put up structures at such reserved places. It is only after the structures have been erected that the institutions begin to issue notices to demolish them.

We need to remind ourselves that the erection of such illegal structures inures to the benefit of only the individuals who put them up, with immeasurable damage done to the general good.

This brings to mind a recent warning issued by the Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Kwasi Amoako-Atta, during the inspection of the Tamale Interchange, to all those erecting illegal structures along road reservations to stop immediately.

According to him, “whether the person is a politician or government appointee, he or she won’t be spared because the right thing must be done to move the country forward”.

The Daily Graphic hopes that those words will be put to action because the level of indiscipline is becoming unbearable. We are aware that such is the level of indiscipline on our major roads, hence the realignment of the median of roads to ensure that when roads need expansion, it would be executed by reducing the medians.

Unfortunately, even such medians have been taken over by traders and other hustlers because they see it as free land.

The situation is even much worse when we go to residential areas. Our local authorities, especially the assemblies, seem not to be proactive when it comes to development planning of residential areas.

What we have observed is that the assemblies are more interested in sending task forces to developing communities to write “Stop work, produce work permit” signs on buildings under construction. And even with that, after the presentation of an ‘envelope’, one can continue to build.

Our local authorities are failing us, to say the least. They have failed to come with policies to address the problem. It also demonstrates the weaknesses or non-performance of state institutions to police regulations and rules set out to deal with such problems.

If that were not the case, the canker would not keep increasing in the metropolises, municipalities and districts.

We know that each area has a development plan, which all the assemblies and other service providers have. So why do they have to wait until structures are erected on water courses, roads, wetlands, among other places before they begin to act?

The Daily Graphic believes that if any punitive action needs to be taken, it must first start with our authorities who look on unconcerned for the problem to become herculean before they start issuing warnings or go to demolish such structures.

It is time our assemblies came up with appropriate strategies to get rid of some of these unwanted structures in areas that are preserved for future use by the government or local assemblies.

To firm up strategies, we believe the assemblies can engage members of the area councils to police their areas to halt such developments.