The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, has defended the recent demolition exercise at the Sakumono Ramsar Site, stating it was a necessary intervention to preserve an ecologically sensitive area and protect surrounding communities from severe flooding.
Addressing Parliament on Tuesday, the Minister explained that the demolition, carried out on May 27, 2025, targeted unauthorized structures built on the Sakumo Lagoon wetland located within the Tema West Municipality in the Greater Accra Region.
The operation, he said, was a difficult but necessary step to protect Ghana’s natural heritage and restore ecological order to a site that has suffered from over a decade of unauthorized encroachment.
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The Sakumono Ramsar Site, also known as Sakumo Lagoon, spans approximately 1,400 hectares and is classified as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention, which Ghana ratified in 1988.
According to the Minister, the site serves as a crucial ecological zone, offering flood regulation, biodiversity conservation, and livelihoods for surrounding communities.
“Unregulated construction and encroachment have severely disrupted natural hydrological systems, worsening flooding in Ashaiman, Klagon, Tema West, and neighboring areas,” Hon. Ibrahim said.
According to the Minister, the demolition was executed under a coordinated effort led by the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (GARCC), Tema West Municipal Assembly, and the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) and sanctioned under several national laws, including: Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936); Land Use and Spatial Planning Act, 2016 (Act 925); Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1994 (Act 490); and Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
“These legal instruments empower government agencies to remove unauthorized developments from ecologically sensitive zones,” the Minister emphasized.
To ensure order and safety, the demolition exercise was carried out by a joint task force comprising the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Armed Forces, and NADMO officials. The Ministry also conducted public sensitization campaigns and engaged local stakeholders before the operation.
“Though there was resistance from some groups, including youth attempts to obstruct the exercise, these were handled peacefully and professionally,” the Minister said.
The Minister reported several immediate benefits from the demolition, including: Restoration of natural drainage pathways, reducing flood risks; Reclamation of the wetland’s core zones, allowing for ecological restoration; Deterrence of future illegal development in protected areas; and Reinforcement of lawful environmental governance and planning.
He stressed that the exercise not only protects the environment but also reaffirms a commitment to the rule of law and responsible spatial planning.
The Minister appealed for ongoing collaboration among government agencies, traditional authorities, developers, and the public to sustain gains made at the Sakumono site and across Ghana’s other Ramsar-protected zones.
“We must not sacrifice environmental sustainability in the name of development. The protection of our wetlands is a shared responsibility,” he noted.