The Tema and Nungua Traditional Councils have pledged to collaborate with the government in its bid to reclaim encroached portions of lands at the Ramsar Site in Accra.
The chiefs and elders of the two communities have given their express approval to remove all illegal structures at the Ramsar site to allow it to serve the purpose for which it was created.
At a stakeholders engagement meeting with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Greater Accra Regional Security Council, Tema and Nungua Traditional Council and the Tema Development Corporation, the two traditional authorities bemoaned illegal activities at the site and encouraged the government to take steps towards the recovery of the encroached lands.
The Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Benito Owusu-Bio, commended the chiefs for living up to their position as pre-acquisition owners of lands by offering their support to the government.
He bewailed the invasion of the Ramsar Site by illegal occupants and vowed to clear them and make the space serve the purpose for which it was created.
He dismissed notions that government has some ulterior motive in clearing the land and assured that everything done on the site will be in accordance with the recommendations of an inter-ministerial committee that was set up to probe the issues at the site and craft a report with far-reaching conclusions.
“Government intends to use the land for anything development. Government wants to leave the lands as Ramsar site due to its benefit and importance. We’ve investigated and are aware of the places that have been encroached.
“I have a report of an inter-ministerial committee and there are some recommendations. We’ll look at the recommendations and implement them accordingly,” he said.
Henry Quartey, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, explained that the government took the initiative to engage the chiefs due to its recognition of the chiefs as key stakeholders in the mission to reclaim the encroached lands.
He said that the Lands Ministry has the mandate to protect the Ramsar Site and that the GARCC will offer its utmost support to the ministry.
The meeting with the chiefs and their blessings paves way for the planned demolition exercise at the Ramsar Site.
