The Greater Accra Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has given operators of several beachfront facilities at Laboma Beach in Accra 21 days to vacate areas identified as buffer zones for the Kpeshie Lagoon.
The directive affects a number of nightclubs, restaurants and hospitality facilities located within the La Dadekotopon Municipal Assembly.
Among the facilities named are Pink Flamingo, ULA Beach Club, Trophy, Bliss Escape, Amsterdam Kitchen, Si Beach Resort and Alora Beach Resort.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister and Chairperson of REGSEC, Linda Ocloo, led a team to the area to serve the notices.
According to her, the affected structures had been developed within areas designated as buffer zones for the Kpeshie Lagoon, thereby restricting the natural flow and storage of water.
She said the encroachment was contributing to flooding in the area, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall.
Developers ignored earlier warnings
Mrs Ocloo said some developers had been warned to halt construction when their projects were still at the foundation stage but proceeded despite the directives.
She questioned whether some of the developers had the necessary permits to undertake construction in the area.
The Regional Minister said the 21-day notice required the occupants to remove the structures themselves.
Failure to comply, she warned, would result in REGSEC carrying out the demolitions and recovering the cost from the affected property owners.
She further cautioned that anyone who attempted to resist the exercise could face arrest.
Security support deployed
Mrs Ocloo disclosed that previous attempts by assembly officials to enforce compliance had been unsuccessful because some officials were reportedly overpowered by occupants and developers at the site.
She said the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces, together with a flood task force, had now taken over the exercise, with REGSEC providing the necessary security support.
The authorities will also assess the extent of the encroachment to determine which structures fall within the protected buffer zone.
The buffer area is intended to provide space for water to settle before gradually flowing into the sea.
The Ghana Hydrological Authority is expected to conduct a further assessment of the Kpeshie Lagoon and its buffer zones to determine the extent of encroachment and the amount of space required to accommodate water during the rainy season.
“We cannot sit aloof to lose the wetlands,” Mrs Ocloo said.
Government prepares for dredging
Political Coordinator for the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, Anthony Nukpenu, said the government would create additional space around the water retention area and clear a heavily silted pathway to improve water flow.
He said occupants whose buildings sit directly within the waterway had also been notified to begin removing their properties ahead of planned dredging works.
Mr Nukpenu added that boulders obstructing the waterway would be removed as part of the exercise.
He attributed some of the flooding recorded in June to restricted water flow, particularly around the back end of a bridge in the area.
He also stressed that the Lands Commission had not rezoned the area for residential or recreational development, insisting that the site remained part of the lagoon.
The latest action follows earlier concerns over development along the Laboma Beach and Kpeshie Lagoon area, where authorities have warned that unauthorised construction could undermine the ecological integrity of the lagoon and increase the risk of flooding.
