REGSEC directs against constructing along Laboma beach

The Greater Accra Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has directed all private developers who are constructing structures along the Laboma Beach in Accra to stop work and produce their permit or risk losing their property.

The position of the structures are found to be negatively affecting the ecological integrity of the Kpeshie Lagoon by impeding its free flow.

Consequently, the council has stationed some security personnel in the area to prevent the developers from continuing their project and also protect the area from any further encroachment.

The directive came when the REGSEC, led by the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus-Glover, visited the area last Monday During the visit, several rows of illegal structures were seen mushrooming along the bank of the lagoon, thus exposing the area to flooding during heavy rains.

It was observed that some of the developers had filled portions of the lagoon with sand, and had already mounted structures on them.

Assurance

The regional minister gave the assurance that the REGSEC was going to try all possible means to bring sanity to the area. He said if it came to a point where they had to demolish all the structures along the lagoon, the REGSEC would not hesitate.

“Nobody should go ahead with any development from today. We are going to invite all the developers and the members of the traditional council to the  Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) and we'll come to a conclusion as to how we want here to be organised,” Mr Titus-Glover said.

He said it was alarming how people were just erecting structures haphazardly in the area without any authorisation. If the situation was not controlled, he said the whole area would be taken over by developers.

“We want to know who sold the land to them because the traditional leaders are saying that they haven't sold any land to anybody. So they should tell us who sold the land to them and then we can know what to do about it,” he said.

History of the area

A member of the La Traditional Council, Nii Adjei Kwoofeh IV, in giving  the history of  the area, said some years back, a youth group known as the Laboma Youth Group took over the place and then named it the Laboma Beach without the approval of the La Traditional Council.

When the council got to know about it, he said the chief visited the area and warned them not to put up any permanent structure, sell lands or fill any of the water bodies for any structure.

However, he said they didn't heed the advice and went ahead to do the very things they told them not to do.

“We warned them several times and even came here with the MCE to have a look but all didn’t yield any results. They've sold land and people are building permanent structures that are not on the assembly’s planning scheme and also destroying the environment.

The things that are going on here are not right and their conduct is not good for the well-being or the development of the land,” Kwoofeh IV said.

He, therefore, pleaded with the regional minister to take steps to close the beach immediately and also pull down all the structures that had been built without authorisation and permit.”