Sustain political will in demolition — LoGSAPP
The Local Government Service Association of Physical Planners (LoGSAPP) has called on the government to intensify the enforcement of spatial planning regulations, warning that failure to do so would undermine the country’s sustainable development agenda.
The association urged Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to demonstrate greater political commitment by strictly enforcing planning laws, while calling on traditional authorities and private property developers to align their actions with national spatial development policies.
The National President of LoGSAPP, Gifty Nyarko, told the Daily Graphic that the persistent disregard for spatial planning regulations reflected systemic governance challenges which, if left unchecked, would continue to fuel environmental degradation, urban disorder and disaster vulnerability.
“If the country is to achieve sustainable development, there must be a deliberate political decision to end urban disorder,” she said.
Govt action
Ms Nyarko commended the government, under the leadership of the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, for what she described as a bold demonstration of political will through the demolition of unauthorised structures on protected wetlands in parts of the Greater Accra Region.
She said the recent removal of illegal developments along the Kpeshie Lagoon in the La-Teshie area and other flood-prone zones signalled a renewed commitment by the state to enforce environmental and spatial planning laws without fear or favour.
She said the exercise, spearheaded by the Greater Accra Regional Security Council (REGSEC) in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and other security agencies, sent a clear message that political authority would be exercised to protect critical ecological assets.
“Regional authorities have, in recent weeks, taken decisive steps to clear temporary structures that had encroached on designated wetland buffers, areas long recognised for their role in flood mitigation and environmental sustainability,” she said.
Ms Nyarko noted that affected occupants had been served with multiple notices prior to the demolition, stressing that the action reflected the government’s responsibility to safeguard public interest and protect waterways.
Flood prevention
She emphasised that wetlands were strategically important to national flood control efforts, water purification and biodiversity conservation, adding that unchecked encroachment had contributed significantly to perennial flooding in Accra and other urban centres.
The LoGSAPP President welcomed the timing of the enforcement exercise, which followed the commemoration of World Wetlands Day on February 2, 2026, on the theme: “Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge: Celebrating Cultural Heritage”.
She said the action aligned with Ghana’s broader environmental governance commitments and international obligations.
Ms Nyarko further urged the government to preserve spatial planning as a distinct professional and policy discipline, cautioning against its dilution or merger with unrelated departments.
She explained that strengthening spatial planning institutions was essential to orderly urban development, effective land use management and the long-term protection of environmentally sensitive areas.
“Without a strong policy framework and consistent enforcement, the country risks a cycle of illegal encroachment followed by costly demolitions that ultimately burden communities and the state,” she said.
She expressed concern that many planning violations were symptomatic of weak enforcement structures and inadequate political backing at the local level, and called for sustained government support to reverse the trend.
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