Adenta, Greater Accra Region, Ghana – The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for La Nkwantanang–Madina, Ibrahim Fuseini Faila, has announced that the owner of the building that collapsed at Adenta New Site will be arrested for allegedly ignoring a stop-work order issued by the Assembly.
According to the MCE, investigations have established that the developer was originally granted a permit to construct only a single-storey building but proceeded to add extra floors in defiance of repeated directives to halt the project.
Speaking to the media, Mr. Faila revealed that he contacted the Assembly’s engineer after the incident and was informed that the owner had already been stopped from continuing construction beyond the approved design.
“I called the engineer and he confirmed that the owner had already been stopped from constructing beyond the approved single-storey building. The question is, on what grounds was he proceeding to add another floor?” he questioned.
The MCE said despite the stop-work order issued about a year ago, the developer allegedly found ways to continue the project without authorisation.
“He refused to listen. Somehow, he found his own means to continue with the project. We are now looking for him and he will be arrested. We will not spare him. The law must bite,” Mr. Faila declared.
He added that the owner will be held financially responsible for clearing the debris and any other costs incurred by the Assembly as a result of the collapse.
“It is the owner’s negligence that has caused this situation. We will ensure he bears the cost of clearing the debris and any other expenses incurred by the Assembly,” he said.
The building collapsed on Wednesday evening during a heavy downpour, killing 35-year-old Margaret Kpeli and injuring several others. The La Nkwantanang–Madina Assembly is working closely with the police to locate and arrest the developer for prosecution.
Mr. Faila noted that while some flooding incidents in Accra and other areas may be attributed to natural causes, the Adenta building collapse was a preventable tragedy that could have been avoided through strict adherence to building regulations and proper supervision.
The incident has once again highlighted concerns over weak enforcement of building codes and unauthorised developments in parts of the Greater Accra Region.
