Flooding: Building owners who cut corners need to be sanctioned — Fuseini Donkor

The Deputy Director-General of the National Service Authority, Fuseini Donkor, has called for strict sanctions against building owners who fail to ensure structural integrity.

His comments come amid renewed public concern over the country’s drainage system, with several communities in Accra and other urban centres experiencing flooding following recent heavy rains.

Many residents have been displaced, while properties have been destroyed.

The situation has reignited debate over urban planning, waste management and enforcement of building regulations in flood-prone areas.

Speaking on Accra-based Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Monday, June 8, the NSA official said building owners must also be held accountable when their actions endanger public safety.

“Endangering public safety is a crime. So the owner has to be punished, and until we start punishing building owners who cause some of these things, people think they can use shortcuts,” he said.

He argued that responsibility for building failures should not be limited to contractors alone, stressing that property owners who cut corners contribute directly to avoidable disasters.

According to him, accountability must extend across the entire construction chain, including landlords, masons and electricians involved in poor workmanship.

“If a driver gets into an accident, we investigate to see if he was reckless. Owners, home owners, apartment owners should also start getting punished for buildings that lack structural integrity,” he stated.