The Ranking Member of Parliament’s Works and Housing Committee, Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, has announced plans by the committee to hold public forums on unsafe structures across the country as part of efforts to address growing concerns over building safety.

The action comes in the wake of multiple building collapses and reported fatalities, which have renewed demands for stronger enforcement of construction and planning regulations.

Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Wednesday, June 24, Mr. Korsah said the committee intends to provide a platform for citizens to report dangerous buildings and raise concerns about structures that pose risks to public safety.

“As a committee of Parliament, in our schedule for this session, we intend to hold some public forums where we are inviting petitions from the general public on such structures, which are obviously death traps waiting for disaster to happen,” he said.

According to him, the forums will enable Parliament to gather firsthand information from residents and communities affected by unsafe buildings while helping lawmakers identify areas requiring urgent intervention.

Mr. Korsah indicated that the committee would use the engagements to scrutinise the actions of institutions responsible for enforcing building regulations and ensuring compliance with approved construction standards.

He also attributed the increasing number of unsafe structures to weak enforcement of existing laws, stressing that the problem lies not in the absence of regulations but in the failure of authorities to ensure compliance.

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“What is happening around us is as a result of lack of enforcement. People who are supposed to enforce our laws are still in this country, yet lives continue to be endangered,” he said.

The former Minister for Local Government and Rural Development argued that many developers obtain permits but proceed with construction without adhering to approved plans and safety requirements.

“Once a developer secures a permit, there is no guarantee that they will abide by the necessary requirements. There is a need for frequent monitoring of what is happening on site,” he noted.

He further expressed concern about the growing number of unauthorised developments springing up in various parts of the country, warning that such practices increase the likelihood of building failures and disasters.

Mr. Korsah stressed that Parliament would push for stronger enforcement measures to ensure that structures identified as dangerous are dealt with promptly before lives are lost.

“We want action to be taken against such structures. Where necessary, they should be pulled down to protect lives and property,” he said.

The announcement comes as authorities continue to assess and monitor several buildings in the Greater Accra Region that have been earmarked for demolition due to structural defects and safety concerns.