The Minister for the Interior Mr. Cletus Avoka has warned plans are afoot to demolish 500 houses in Accra and Tema. According to Mr Avoka, the exercise, to be carried out by the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), would pave way for the re-engineering of the capital city.
His warning comes after years of flooding which has often been blamed on poor siting of buildings and drainage systems.
Giving the breakdown, Mr Avoka said �between 80 and 300 structures at Weija have been earmarked for demolition,� 45 at Mallam and Sakaman - with 22 already demolished � 20 in Tema around the Chemu Lagoon, and two at West Legon in Accra.
He said over 200 houses in Nii Boi Town would also be pulled down whilst several unauthorized structures at East Legon and Airport West would also be demolished. Mr. Avoka said government would soon forward details of an amendment to the NADMO law to Parliament. The new law would give NADMO authority to set up a fund that will make the organization proactive, he said.
Meanwhile in a rare scene in Parliament on Thursday, the First Deputy Speaker who sat in for the Speaker, Joyce Bamford-Addo, chastised the leadership of the Majority for failing to attach seriousness to business in the House. Mr Doe Adjaho said, lately, the Majority Leader and his colleagues appear not to take business of the House serious. He accused them of neglecting their desks during proceedings.
This was concern was made at a time the entire leadership of the Majority were absent, leaving no one to usher in Deputy Information Minister James Agyenim Boateng, to enable him answer questions from the floor of the legislators. "I think your side should take business on the floor seriously. I am saying it without any sense of reservation. At least I have been there before. I have sat at the front bench at your side for 12 years,� Mr Adjaho said.
The Majority Leader Alban Bagbin however assumed his seat shortly and told the House he had been out to take a call. �Mr Speaker it is difficult for me to respond to what has happened but I rushed out to take an urgent call and, in fact, I was taking it when bowing down to you on my way out,� Mr Bagbin said.
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