The Mayor of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly, Ebi Bright, has condemned the ongoing encroachment on a designated wetland and major sewage management site in the Tema Heavy Industrial Area, describing the situation as a “crime against the city” that poses a serious threat to urban infrastructure.
Her remarks follow a Channel One News investigation which revealed that the site — a critical water retention basin and sewage management point — has been taken over by concrete structures, raising concerns about flooding and a possible public health emergency.
According to sources, construction activities at the wetland have been ongoing for the past two months.
Speaking on the Channel One Newsroom on Monday, December 22, Ebi Bright said the scale and implications of the encroachment go beyond routine enforcement challenges.
She warned that if left unchecked, the development could compromise drainage systems in the area and expose residents to serious environmental and health risks.
“The usual method of ‘stop work’ is not going to do it in this case. This is a crime against the city in the worst way possible. This is not just about taking land illegally; it is about destroying the whole infrastructure of the city. Essentially, what this person has done is to turn the whole industrial area into a lagoon,” she said.
She stated that the assembly will pursue legal action to ensure the perpetrators are brought to book.
Meanwhile, road and building consultant Abdulai-Mahama has called on government to urgently summon the Mayor over the matter and take decisive action against the perpetrators.
In an interview with Citi News, he urged authorities to immediately reclaim the land and sanction those responsible, describing the development as a clear breach of Ghana’s land-use and environmental laws.