Recurrent building collapses in Ghana point to systemic weaknesses in enforcement and accountability, according to Sampson Worlanyo Deklu of the Bureau of Public Safety’s Built Environment division.
Speaking in an interview after Tuesday’s collapse of a three-storey structure at the Roman Ridge Engineering Centre in Accra, Mr. Deklu criticised the authorities’ continued reluctance to publish and act on investigation reports from previous cases.
He said this lack of transparency has allowed negligence and substandard construction practices to persist across the sector.
“Building collapses can’t be completely separated from the built environment, there may be issues of negligence or poor materials, but each case is unique. Unfortunately, we don’t learn because the findings from past investigations are never shared,” he explained.
Mr. Deklu lamented that withholding such reports prevents professionals from drawing lessons that could avert future tragedies.
“We keep making the same mistakes because we don’t learn from the old ones. If reports were published, experts could use that information to improve standards. As a country, we must be deliberate about preventing these incidents,” he urged.
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The collapse, which occurred Tuesday afternoon, involved a building reportedly under construction by Fabrico Builders.
The site lies between a ten-storey apartment complex and the Ghana Institute of Engineering at Roman Ridge.
According to the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), a distress call came in at 12:18 p.m., and a rescue team led by ADO II Ankrah arrived on the scene at 12:29 p.m.
By that time, all 14 affected persons, all men, had been rescued and taken to the 37 Military Hospital and Ridge Hospital for treatment.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the collapse.
However, experts like Mr. Deklu stress that, this time, the findings must be made public to help prevent future occurrences.
“If we keep sweeping these incidents under the carpet, lives and resources will continue to be wasted,” Mr. Deklu warned.
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