President John Dramani Mahama has directed the Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, to ensure that officials who fail to properly enforce building safety regulations are identified and sanctioned.

He said officials responsible for inspecting buildings, issuing permits and ensuring compliance with safety regulations must be held accountable when they neglect their duties.

Speaking at the National Conference on Housing Finance on October 7, 2026, Mahama said the enforcement of building regulations must be strengthened, particularly at the district assembly level.

He stressed that whenever a building collapses, authorities must establish which officials were responsible for ensuring its safety and take appropriate action where negligence is established.

“These are things that the Ministry of Local Government should take very seriously. If a house collapses, we must see whose duty it was to ensure that that house was safe, and that person must be sanctioned for it,” he said.

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Mahama also expressed concern about the continued construction of buildings despite stop-work orders issued by local authorities.

“More often than not, you see red paint stop work, and yet the work continues. And you wonder what’s happening. And one day they are working, and the whole house comes tumbling down. You ask, who gave the permit for that building?” he stated.

He said the responsibility for enforcing building safety standards cannot end with the issuance of permits, insisting that district assemblies must ensure that developers comply with approved requirements.

Beyond structural safety, Mahama called for measures to address overcrowding in slums, insecure land tenure, poor sanitation and inadequate access to utilities.

“We must also ensure that the homes we build are safe, accessible and connected to jobs and essential services,” he indicated.

MRA/VPO

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