Private legal practitioner, Kwame Jantuah, has raised concerns over building safety lapses following a recent building collapse, warning that weak enforcement of regulations could lead to more avoidable tragedies.
His comment follows the collapse of a structure after heavy rainfall, which has reignited public debate on construction standards and regulatory oversight in Ghana. Although no mass casualties were recorded, the incident has sparked fears that the outcome could have been worse under different circumstances.
Speaking on GHOne TV with Joshua Kodjo Mensah, Jantuah expressed worry about the broader implications of the incident.
“It is unfortunate, but had it happened on a Monday, we could have been dealing with a much more tragic situation involving children,” he said.
He noted that the building, reportedly constructed around 2012, had earlier shown signs of structural weakness, including visible shaking, raising questions about whether proper inspections were conducted.
Following the incident, authorities have directed churches operating within school premises in the area to suspend activities as a precautionary measure.
Jantuah criticised regulatory institutions, including the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), for what he described as poor enforcement of existing laws.
“We have similar frameworks, but the challenge is that they are not effectively enforced,” he explained.
He added that in many jurisdictions, buildings undergo periodic inspections to assess structural integrity, stressing that Ghana has similar systems but fails to implement them effectively.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/Abigail praise Pabai
