Avenor Building Had No Valid Permit, AMA Confirms
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly has officially confirmed that the building which collapsed at Avenor in North Kaneshie on Sunday had no valid building permit from the Assembly — a revelation that has deepened concerns about regulatory compliance and enforcement within Accra’s construction sector.
AMA Public Relations Officer Gilbert Nii Ankrah made the disclosure on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Monday, adding a fresh and alarming dimension to the tragedy by suggesting that some developers may be resorting to falsified documents to circumvent the official approval process entirely.
“Per our records, there are no permitting regulations for this particular building. But investigations are going to begin to look into it,” he said.
Ankrah acknowledged that such violations often occur without the Assembly’s knowledge, but was firm that the incident would not pass without consequence.
He confirmed that investigations into the full permitting process have already been set in motion and that those found responsible will be held accountable.
“Some of these things are done most of the time at the blind side of the Assembly. But just as the Mayor has said, investigations into the entire permitting process will begin, and whoever is responsible will be held accountable,” he added.
He stressed that individuals found to have breached building regulations would face sanctions as authorities move to tighten oversight and close the loopholes that have allowed unapproved structures to be erected across the capital.
The collapse, which occurred in the early hours of Sunday, June 7, killed two people and left three others injured. It is the second fatal building collapse in Accra within a week, following a similar incident at Adenta New Site on June 3.
The confirmation that the building lacked a valid permit intensifies longstanding calls for the AMA and other regulatory bodies to move beyond reactive responses and implement robust, proactive systems for monitoring construction activity — before more lives are lost to disasters that should never have been allowed to happen.
Comments (0)