Editorial: Asa B is just talking

Accra is once again flooded. Lives have been lost. The cost of the damage caused to properties is counted in billions of cedis. The blame game has started. Building inspectors are the number one targets. Loud threats are coming from the Minister of Local Government.

But, The Statesman is prepared to bet its printing machines on it that the threats from Stephen Asamoah Boateng (aka Asa B) to sanction negligent building inspectors would not be carried out - it's much emptier than the Akosombo Dam was some months ago. Now, as reported today, there are statutory moves to grant NADMO the powers of demolition, too.

This is a country that in the last 25 years a whole area from Abeka Lapaz to Awoshie has developed without much of a plan, under the watchful eyes of Jerry John Rawlings – an era that was noted for the deepening of the culture of disregard for rules.

The culture of haphazard developments is too entrenched to be washed away by an emotive, transient flood of threats, Mr Minister. The laws may be there, just like they were there in the past and nothing was done.

If Government is to enforce the rules and regulations to the letter then government must also consider that it is a very sensitive and serious political decision that ought not be left alone to the very building inspectors who failed to do their work in the past to suddenly change over and enforce. It goes much deeper than that, we are afraid.

How is this new policy of demolition of illegal structures to be enforced without it being discriminatory? Is the enforcement going to be retroactive or pro-active? Are there going to be different scales of consequences for different kinds of infringement, depending on the situation of an illegal structure, whether it is in a waterway or not, for example?

Would it mean pulling down every structure in the country that is illegal? What would that do to homelessness? Is Government even in a financial position to find alternative accommodation for some? Or would Government just bury its head beneath the ballot box and say it is not its responsibility to house illegality?

What about the innocent victims, like tenants, whose only crime may be one of want? Would years of an illegal structure being left in peace by the authorities make it legal? Are you ready for the domestic and international backlash, from human rights advocates that would automatically come your way if you go ahead with your radical enforcement programme without any kind of a social safety net? Do you even have a plan?

Talk is cheap, our good friend, Asa B. We understand the strict enforcement change of heart emanated from Cabinet. But, we are not convinced how well Cabinet has thought through the matter. We admire your enthusiasm and your commitment to changing the phase of our chequered development. But, we are not convinced you really know what you are letting yourself into. Perhaps, you can begin by explaining the guidelines of enforcement.

At the bottom of this Ghanaian phenomenon of putting up illegal structures with impunity is this country"s jaundiced regard for law and order, rules and regulations. Those to enforce don’t, creating in their wake of negligence a predictable expectation of enforcement non-expectation on the part of society. Are we as a people and our government really ready to change that old, back-tracking, progress-retarding culture?

Certainly, there is hardly any conscious policy direction from the part of government to indicate that Ghana is now set on an enforcement drive of its rules and regulations.

If we are about to begin, then Kwamena Bartels and go have a lot of re-orientation to do.