The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has called on Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to step up enforcement of building regulations following the collapse of a three-storey structure at Avenor in North Kaneshie, which has so far claimed two lives.
Speaking to journalists after inspecting the scene on Sunday, June 7, the Minister said district assemblies remain the primary authorities responsible for issuing building permits and monitoring construction projects, and must ensure strict compliance with approved plans.
“In terms of building permits, it is the district assembly. That is why I am calling on the Local Government Ministry and the district assemblies to rise up to the occasion.
“The district assemblies should be up and doing, and I hope my colleague, the Local Government Minister, will rise to the occasion by talking to the MMDCEs for them to sit up and make sure that those that do not have authorization and are building can be stopped,” he stated.
He added that developers who secure permits must strictly adhere to the approved specifications without deviation.
“Those who have permits should go according to the specification that was approved and not do anything other than what is approved,” he added.
The building, which reportedly accommodated both commercial and residential occupants, collapsed in the early hours of Sunday, triggering a large-scale search and rescue operation.
Personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Ghana Police Service, Ghana Armed Forces, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), and other emergency response agencies are still at the scene conducting rescue efforts and assessing the extent of damage.
Authorities have confirmed two fatalities so far, while several others have been injured. Rescue teams continue to comb through the rubble as investigations into the cause of the collapse begin.
