Cape coast: The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has announced plans to demolish 50 old and dilapidated buildings in the Cape Coast Metropolis that have become potential death traps. Many of these mud-built structures, some over 100 years old, have developed visible cracks, and in several cases, roofs have been severely damaged due to years of neglect.
According to Ghana News Agency, NADMO has expressed concern over families still residing in these dangerously fragile buildings, seemingly unaware or indifferent to the grave risks involved. As a result, a two-week ultimatum has been issued for all residents occupying structures marked for demolition to vacate the premises. "Failure to comply with this order will leave us with no option but to demolish the structures and recover the cost of demolition from the owners," stated Mr. Emmanuel Kwasi Dawood, the Regional Director of NADMO, at a press conference on Monday.
The urgency of the demolition exercise has been heightened by recent rains across the region, resulting in 58 disasters within the last seven days, claiming 18 lives and displacing 377 people. These disasters include building collapses, drowning incidents, fallen trees, landslides, and mudslides in 13 of the region's 23 districts. The Cape Coast Metropolis recorded the highest number of incidents, including five building collapses and three deaths.
Upper Denkyira East and Upper Denkyira West reported two and three drowning incidents, respectively. Gomoa Central recorded a building collapse and one drowning, Mfantseman had two building collapses and one person swept away by floods, while Twifo Atti-Morkwa and Agona West each reported one drowning incident.
Mr. Dawood attributed the spate of disasters to heavy rains exacerbated by environmental degradation and poor urban planning, including the proliferation of dilapidated structures, indiscriminate settlement in flood-prone areas, blocked drains, and unsafe excavation. These factors have increased vulnerability to flooding, building collapses, mudslides, and other hazards.
Mr. Dawood urged the public to change behaviors that increase disaster risk, such as building in waterways and filling drainages with garbage. He called on households and communities to heed early warnings, relocate from high-risk zones, maintain drains, avoid illegal excavation, and report unsafe structures to local authorities. He also appealed to MMDAs, traditional leaders, security agencies, civil society, and development partners to intensify collaboration with NADMO to strengthen preparedness, early response, and recovery efforts across the Central Region.