Fatal Building Collapse at Accra New Town Triggers Calls for Urgent Structural Audits and Stricter Enforcement

Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has visited the site of a tragic building collapse at the Accra New Town Experimental School, where three people lost their lives and over 20 others were injured. The structure, which was part of an abandoned Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) project dating back to 2012, collapsed during a gathering on a Sunday. The Vice President, accompanied by government officials and emergency responders, extended her condolences to the bereaved families and visited the 37 Military Hospital to check on those receiving treatment. She assured the public that a thorough investigation is underway to determine the cause of the disaster and reiterated the government's commitment to supporting the victims.

In the immediate aftermath, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ayawaso Central, Rudolph Collingwood-Williams, ordered a halt to all church activities on school premises to ensure public safety, citing the need for technical assessments before structures can be cleared for use. However, the response efforts were met with controversy as former Interior and Greater Accra Regional Minister Henry Quartey accused security agencies of politicizing the rescue mission after he was reportedly barred from the site. From a legal perspective, private practitioner Lom Nuku Ahlijah has clarified that victims have the right to pursue civil action for compensation concurrently with the state's criminal prosecution, emphasizing that public institutions like GETFund must be held accountable for safety standards.

Professional bodies and safety experts have pointed to systemic regulatory failures as the root cause of such tragedies. Mr. Tony Asare, President of the Ghana Institute of Architects (GIA), warned that using uncompleted buildings for high-vibration activities, such as church services with loud drumming and singing, can compromise structural integrity. He called for mandatory structural audits of buildings left incomplete for extended periods and highlighted a critical shortage of qualified architects within local authorities to oversee construction. The Bureau of Public Safety also criticized the lack of effective emergency protocols and weak enforcement of existing regulations, urging immediate reforms to prevent future occurrences.

To address these gaps, the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) Ghana Chapter is advocating for a mandatory "no certificate, no entry" policy for all multi-storey buildings. IFMA President Sampson Opare-Agyemang emphasized that the Certificate of Occupancy is a vital safety guarantee that is often ignored despite being required by the 2018 Ghana Building Code. As stakeholders call for a nationwide review of abandoned projects and construction materials quality, the focus remains on bridging the gap between legislative standards and ground-level enforcement to protect citizens from avoidable structural failures.