The Sakumo and Tema Ramsar sites are under threat as real estate developers and encroachers continue to take over vast areas of the once-vibrant wetlands.
In their place now stand numerous completed and unfinished structures that have encroached upon the buffer and core zones of these protected sites.
Efforts to reclaim these areas have faced significant challenges over the years, including political interference and court injunctions that have hindered progress.
Despite “stop work” and “produce permit” inscriptions by the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) and the Tema West Assembly as far back as 2022, many of these illegal structures remain untouched.
A recent visit by the Greater Accra Regional Minister designate, Titus Glover, to the sites has further highlighted the urgency of the situation and the need for decisive action to protect these ecological treasures.
Glover expressed concern about the ongoing encroachment and called for the removal of any legal barriers that may be hindering law enforcement.
During his visit, Glover questioned the role of the TMA lawyer in allowing injunctions to hold, suggesting that they should work towards lifting the injunction and ensuring the right actions are taken.
This includes enforcing the markings on the properties and dismantling the unauthorized structures.
“I’m told by the Chief Executive of TMA that there was an injunction on the assembly on his predecessor that they shouldn’t come into the area when they did the markings on these properties so because of that fear and respect to the law, they’ve not been able to come back because when you see a TMA official hanging around to enforce it, it becomes a problem, but the question is the TMA lawyer, what was he doing?”
“If people are doing illegality, why do we sit down and allow an injunction to hold as of now? We should move towards it and take the injunction off, and be able to work and ensure the right things are done. Having seen this, we’ll hold a brief discussion, and maybe they can go back to the court to lift the injunction and make sure the right things are done.”