NADMO issues final evacuation order for occupants of dilapidated buildings in Central Region

The Central Regional Directorate of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), in collaboration with Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and security agencies, has issued a final evacuation order to owners and occupants of structurally weak and dilapidated buildings across the region.

The directive comes amid growing concerns over the safety of residents during the ongoing rainy season, which authorities say has significantly increased the risk of building collapses and other disaster-related incidents.

In a strongly worded public notice, NADMO warned that it can no longer tolerate preventable tragedies resulting from the occupation of unsafe structures. The organisation stressed that lives and property remain at risk as heavy rains continue to weaken already compromised buildings.

As part of the directive, all occupants of buildings that have been marked as unsafe or are visibly deteriorating have been given a 14-day deadline to vacate the premises. Residents and tenants are expected to make immediate arrangements to relocate to safer accommodation within the stipulated period.

NADMO further ordered the immediate cessation of all residential and commercial activities being conducted in such hazardous structures. According to the agency, continued occupation of these buildings poses a serious threat to public safety and could lead to catastrophic consequences.

The organisation also warned that any building that remains occupied after the expiration of the 14-day grace period will be subject to enforced demolition by the respective Assemblies. The cost of demolition, officials noted, will be borne by the property owners.

The warning follows recent incidents of structural failures and flooding in parts of the region, including a deadly building collapse in Cape Coast that claimed lives and left others injured.

NADMO has therefore urged residents to treat the directive with the utmost seriousness, emphasizing that structural integrity is a matter of life and death.

Authorities are calling on property owners, landlords, tenants, and businesses operating in unsafe buildings to cooperate fully with the evacuation exercise to prevent further loss of lives and destruction of property.

"Do not risk your life or your family's future," the statement emphasized. "Vacate safely now."

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