The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has called on Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to step up enforcement of building regulations following the collapse of a structure at the North Industrial Area in Accra.

The Interior Minister is urging Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) and local government authorities to strictly enforce building regulations to prevent future construction-related disasters.

Speaking to the media at the scene, he says the responsibility for issuing building permits lies with district assemblies, stressing that other state agencies such as the Ghana National Fire Service and the Police Service do not have the mandate to approve building siting.

“In terms of building permits, it is the district assembly that is responsible. That is why I am calling on the local government ministry and the assemblies to rise up,” he said.

The Minister explained that while fire and police officers play important roles in ensuring safety compliance—particularly fire safety—they are not responsible for determining where buildings are constructed.

“A fire service personnel cannot come and decide if a building should be put here or not. The police and fire service come in for safety issues, but the permit to build always comes from the assembly,” he stated.

He therefore called on assemblies and their technical teams, including engineers and planners, to be more proactive in enforcing approved development plans.

“We want the assemblies and their engineers to be up and doing so we can support them to ensure a safe environment,” he said.

The Minister warned that failure to adhere to approved building plans weakens enforcement systems and contributes to unsafe construction practices.

“Without their mandate, we cannot cross it and do their work for them. That would even undermine the laws of our country,” he added.

He further appealed to local authorities to clamp down on unauthorised developments and ensure strict compliance with planning and building specifications.

“I hope our colleagues in local government will rise to the occasion by engaging the MMDCEs so that those without authorisation are stopped, and those with permits will stick strictly to approved specifications,” he said.

The comments follow the recent building collapse at the North Industrial Area in Accra, which has triggered renewed concerns about enforcement of building codes and urban planning regulations.