President John Dramani Mahama has called for officials responsible for ensuring building safety to be sanctioned when houses collapse as a result of failures in the permitting and enforcement process.
He said the frequent occurrence of building collapses raises serious questions about the effectiveness of building permits and enforcement at the district assembly level.
President Mahama made the remarks on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, when he opened the National Conference on Housing Finance at the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra.
He said authorities must address the root causes of building collapses, particularly the enforcement of building regulations by district assemblies.
“Lately, you hear about collapsing buildings and all that. We must get to the roots of that, especially at the district assembly level,” President Mahama said.
According to him, developers are required to obtain permits from the relevant assemblies to ensure that buildings meet safety standards.
However, he expressed concern about situations where construction continues despite stop-work orders issued by assemblies.
“When people are building, you are supposed to get a permit from the assembly to make sure that that building is safe. More often than not, you see red pins. Stop work, yet, the work continues, and you wonder what is happening,” he said.
President Mahama said some developers allegedly continue construction despite stop-work notices, sometimes under the assumption that the notices are intended merely to discourage other people from interfering with their projects.
He warned that such practices could have devastating consequences when structurally unsafe buildings eventually collapse.
The President therefore tasked the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs and district assemblies to take the issue seriously and establish accountability when building safety regulations are breached.
“If a house collapses, we must see whose duty it was to ensure that that house was safe. And that person must be sanctioned for it,” he said.
President Mahama said adequate housing must not only be affordable but also safe, accessible and connected to essential services.
He noted that Ghana’s housing challenge goes beyond the construction of additional units, stressing the need to address poor sanitation, overcrowding, insecure tenure and inadequate access to utilities.
He also called for housing developments to be planned alongside roads, drainage systems, water, schools and healthcare facilities.
According to him, a cheaper house can still become unaffordable if residents have to spend excessive amounts on transportation or basic services.
The President said land administration, planning approvals, infrastructure provision and housing finance must therefore work together to deliver safe and affordable communities.
