President John Dramani Mahama has warned that public officials found to have approved building permits within the Weija Dam spillway area could face dismissal, as concerns mount over encroachment on flood-prone lands.
Speaking during an engagement with the Ghanaian community in London on Sunday, May 31, President Mahama revealed that he has directed the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, to investigate the issuance of permits for developments in the designated spillway zone.
According to the President, officials found culpable will face severe sanctions.
“We need to punish those who signed the permit for that. I’ve told the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs to find out who signed these permits. We will not transfer them to the north; we will sack them,” he stated.
President Mahama blamed the growing problem on a combination of actions by traditional authorities, landowners, and local assembly officials, whom he accused of facilitating development in areas reserved for water flow and flood control.
He explained that lands surrounding the spillway, which are intended to accommodate the safe discharge of excess water from the Weija Dam during periods of heavy rainfall, have increasingly been sold and developed for residential purposes.
“Part of the problem is the local councils and assemblies. You find a house in a waterway, and somebody signed a permit for them to build there. Look at the Weija Dam; it has a spillway. In the dry season, these same traditional rulers and landowners will sell land to people in the spillway of the dam, and when they open the spillway, your house is flooded with water,” he said.
The Weija Dam, a key source of water supply for parts of Accra and surrounding communities, is periodically spilt during heavy rains to prevent overflow and protect the integrity of the facility.
Recent spillage from the dam has left several downstream communities, including Tetegu, dealing with significant flooding. Many residents have been displaced, while homes and properties have suffered extensive damage.
The President’s remarks come amid renewed calls for stricter enforcement of planning regulations and greater accountability in the allocation and development of lands within designated flood-control zones.
