Government has initiated a national audit to, among other things, find out which officials gave permits for properties to be constructed on waterways or at places considered inappropriate.

The audit being conducted with the help of the Environmental Protection Agency, National Petroleum Authority, the Local Assemblies is to identify public officials who negligently granted permits for some properties including houses and fuel stations to be constructed at unapproved sites and punish them accordingly.

This was revealed by Environment Minister Mahama Ayariga on Joy FM's Ghana Connect programme, Friday.

 "There must be consequences for the actions of public officers," he noted.

In the wake of the twin fire and flood disasters that have claimed over 150 lives there have been wanton demolition of structures and a call for punitive actions to be taken against public officers whose negligence may have caused the disaster.

The Environment Minister was himself on the field inspecting structures, including fuel stations wrongly sited.

He observed from his inspection that some fuel station owners had their permits properly obtained; area suitable but there is a maintenance problem.

Other stations too had everything but decided to add other activities, including restaurants that should not go with the fuel sale.

For others, the minister said they had permits but whoever granted the permit ought not to have granted those permits because the stations and properties were wrongly sited.

He said the ministry after the audit will take adequate measures to resolve the problem facing the country.