The minister speaking the press conference
The plush houses of some individuals around the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) Air Navigation Station at East Legon, Accra are likely to be demolished by the State.
Outgoing Minister of Aviation, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, made disclosure in response to a question on Monday in Accra during her first appearance at the Meet The Press Series organized by the Ministry of Information.
It would be recalled that Ms Dapaah on January 23, 2018 visited the KIA’s Very High Frequency Omni Directional Radio Range (VOR) Station in the company of journalists and officials of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
During the tour, it was discovered that encroachment by some people was threatening the safety of air passengers.
The Minister, at the time, promised to take steps to immediately demolish such structures.
“We wish the encroachers will understand and move to the allowed distance,” she said.
She told DAILY GUIDE that the ministry was working with relevant authorities and institutions like the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to mark the structures that ought to be demolished immediately.
Earlier, the Minister cited encroachment on aviation lands as one of the main challenges facing the aviation sector in Ghana.
According to her, lands belonging to the Ghana Airports Company Limited and the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority were being encroached upon by individuals and private developers.
Ms Dapaah, who has been reassigned to the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, said “the land issues include the acquisition process and sometimes compensation.”
She stressed that government would ensure the demolition of the structures near the VOR station after the completion of the assessment by relevant agencies and authorities.
When DAILY GUIDE visited the VOR Station alongside the Minister in January this year, there were plush high-rise buildings in the area.
By Melvin Tarlue