The Minister for the Interior, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, has announced that 16 buildings across the Greater Accra Region have been identified as structurally unsafe and will be demolished in the coming days to prevent further loss of life.
The revelation comes in the wake of the tragic collapse of a three-storey building at Avenor in North Kaneshie on Sunday, June 7, which claimed two lives and left three others injured.
Speaking to journalists during a visit to the disaster site, Mr. Muntaka disclosed that the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has already flagged the dangerous structures. He said urgent steps are being taken to evacuate occupants before the buildings are pulled down.
“Currently, NADMO has identified about 16 buildings within the Greater Accra Region that have to come down. We are going to ensure that, coming into the week, they will go and get all those buildings down,” the minister stated.
He added that evacuations are currently underway to ensure the safety of residents living in the affected structures.
“We are currently doing the evacuations, and they must bring all those buildings down. I mean, some things are natural, and God will take care of the supernatural, but for the natural ones, we have to take care of them,” Mr. Muntaka emphasised.
The minister described the demolition exercise as part of a broader government strategy to reduce preventable disasters and protect lives and property from unsafe buildings.
The Avenor building collapse is the latest in a series of incidents that have raised serious concerns about the enforcement of building regulations, the quality of construction, and the maintenance of ageing structures in parts of the capital.
Authorities have assured the public that the exercise will be carried out systematically to minimise hardship while prioritising public safety. Further details on the specific locations of the buildings earmarked for demolition are expected to be released soon.
