TMA Investigates Encroachment On Sakumono Ramsar Site

Felix Mensah Nii Annang-La, Mayor of Tema

The Tema Metropolitan Assembly has constituted a 13 member committee to investigate the encroachment on the Ramsar site.

According to the Assembly, it has become necessary to set up a committee to probe into the circumstances that led to the encroachment on the Ramsar site.

The committee's role will be to liaise with the Ghana Survey Department to locate and identify the boundaries of the Ramsar site and identify structures and owners of property sites who have encroached and have to be removed.

It also has additional responsibility to remove slum along the Sakumono railways adjacent to the Ramsar site and provide other relevant suggestions and recommendations as well as come out timelines in dealing with issues in the affected areas.

The committee is expected to document all its findings with supporting pictures and GPS locations and forward it to the Metropolitan Chief Executive as soon as possible.

The Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive Mr. Felix Mensa Nii Annang -La announced the composition of the committee at the 1st Ordinary Meeting of the 2nd session of the 3rd Assembly on Wednesday.

He indicated that the committee comprises representatives from Town and Country Planning, Tema Development Company, Tema Traditional Council, Electricity Company of Ghana and Game &Wild Life Department.

The rest are; Tema Metro Coordinating Director, Tema NADMO coordinator, Metropolitan Works Engineer, Hon. Antonio Fernandez, Mr. Sevlo Agyei, Captain Edmund Ben Duah (Rtd) and Mr. Frank Asante, the Public Relations Officer of TMA.

Several residents particularly those in community 3, 5, 6, 10 and 12 have expressed grave concern TMA’s inability to deal with the situation despite the level of encroachment on the Ramsar site.

The Ramsar site stretches from community 12 to Sakumono covering several acreages of land.

A Ramsar Site is a wetland site designated of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

The Convention on Wetlands, known as the Ramsar Convention, is an intergovernmental environmental treaty established in 1971 by UNESCO, and coming into force in 1975.

Some residents who are engaging in farming activities at the periphery of the Ramsar site have accused the TDC and officials of TMA of colluding with developers to encroach on the area.

“There is a lot of encroachment on the Ramsar site and we believe going into it needs a further investigation to come with a thorough report…This will guide the assembly in any decision we have to take and at what time,” the mayor who is also the chairman of the committee stated.

He said the TMA would not spare any of its staff who is found to have contravened the bye -laws of the Assembly.

Story By: Michael Creg Afful

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