The Tema and Nungua Traditional Councils have given their express approval for the removal of all illegal structures at the Ramsar site to pave way for its intended purpose.
The two traditional authorities lamented the illegal activities at the site and urged the government to continue taking steps toward the recovery of the encroached lands.
The chiefs gave this endorsement at a stakeholder engagement meeting with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Greater Accra Regional Security Council, Tema and Nungua Traditional Council, and the Tema Development Corporation on Tuesday in Accra
The Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources responsible for Lands and Forestry, Mr Benito Owusu-Bio, lauded the chiefs for upholding their role and responsibility as pre-acquisition landowners by offering their assistance to the government.
He bemoaned the invasion of the Ramsar site by encroachers and vowed to clear them out to allow water from the wetland to flow into the Sakumono lagoon.
Mr Owusu-Bio refuted claims that the government had ulterior motives in clearing the land and assured that everything done on the site would be per the recommendations of an inter-ministerial committee formed to investigate the issues at the site and produce a report with far-reaching conclusions.
“The government intends to use the land for anything more than development. The government wants to leave the lands as Ramsar site due to its benefit and importance. We’ve investigated and are aware of the places that have been encroached upon. I have a report from an inter-ministerial committee and had some recommendations. We’ll look at the recommendations and implement them accordingly,” he emphasized.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Henry Quartey, explained that the government took the initiative to engage the chiefs because it recognised the chiefs as key stakeholders in the mission to reclaim the encroached lands.
He stated that the Lands Ministry has the mandate to protect the Ramsar site and that the GARCC would give the ministry its full support.