Dr Frank Amoakohene, Ashanti Regional Minister, has ordered landlords and private developers on the upstream and downstream of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) enclave to produce their building permits to Asokwa and Oforikrom Municipal Engineers or vacate their buildings.
The minister gave the directive during a visit to various flood-prone and hotspot areas in and around KNUST.
According to him, the campus of KNUST got flooded because of the negligence of individuals and private developers who defied assembly and environmental laws by building on waterways in and around the campus.
The minister has instructed the Municipal authorities to look out for buildings that have been sited on waterways and demand building permits.
He said structures without permit should be pulled down and appealed to the public, especially Ghanaians resident abroad, to seek proper engineering advice before putting up buildings.
Dr. Amoakohene also expressed concern over the springing up of illegal structures without being noticed by the assembly.
He revealed that the current municipal engineer at Asokwa had been at post for six months, while his predecessor served for 12 years.
According to him, he would file a complaint to the Local Government Service because the Assembly failed in its supervisory and oversight role.
The Regional Minister reiterated that development must not come at the expense of public safety and environmental compliance.
Professor David Asamoah, Pro Vice Chancellor of KNUST, said the university took proactive steps before the rains and ensured water subsided quickly after the downpour.
He stated that when the rain stopped around 10:50 a.m., by 12:12 p.m. the water had subsided completely because of the gardens and bushes they have around.
He advised that desilting should be done annually and stressed that structures blocking waterways behind the campus would be broken down to allow free flow of water.
Alhaji Ibrahim Nadiru, Ashanti Regional NADMO Director, said over 18,000 residents were affected.
Source: Chronicle.com.gh
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