TDC, National Security and Military reclaim encroached Sakumono Ramsar Site in major demolition exercise

In a bold effort to protect Ghana’s environmental heritage, the Tema Development Corporation Limited (TDC), in collaboration with the National Security and the Ghana Armed Forces, has carried out a major demolition exercise at the Sakumono Ramsar site in the Greater Accra Region.

The operation was launched to reclaim state lands and preserve the ecological integrity of the protected wetland, which has seen increasing encroachment by unauthorized developments. The demolition targeted illegal structures recently erected on the site, many of which pose a threat to the area’s natural drainage system.

Leading the exercise, TDC’s Managing Director, Mr. Courage Nunekpeku, stressed the urgent need to act, especially as the rainy season approaches.

“This is about safeguarding lives, the environment, and state lands,” Mr. Nunekpeku said. “We cannot allow illegal developers to destroy a natural buffer zone that is crucial for water flow and biodiversity.”

He expressed concern over the rapid pace of encroachment, noting that many developers were building overnight in an attempt to avoid detection.

During the exercise, a group of traditional leaders who had allegedly allocated parts of the land to private developers arrived at the scene. They appealed for the demolition to be halted and pledged to engage TDC through appropriate channels to seek a peaceful and lawful resolution.

Despite the appeal, the demolitions continued, with TDC insisting that the ecological integrity of the Ramsar site must not be compromised.

The operation later extended to Community 10 in Tema, another location within the Ramsar buffer zone, where a developer identified only as “Big Sam” was caught filling the wetland with gravel and constructing apartment blocks.

An outraged Mr. Nunekpeku said the developer had been warned several times but continued to flout the law.

“This blatant disregard for the law is unacceptable,” he said. “We are sending a strong message today that such actions will not be tolerated.”

As part of the enforcement effort, an illegally constructed fence wall designed to block access to the wetland was also demolished, signaling a clear warning to other encroachers.

TDC has vowed to continue working with security agencies and environmental authorities to prevent further encroachment and ensure strict compliance with land use and conservation regulations.