The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has given management of MelcomPlus Shop­ping Mall the green light to operate, after it was reported in the media that there were deep­ening cracks in series of columns of the com­pany's building at North Industrial area, in Accra.

Owing to the media report, the Chief Execu­tive of Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Dr. Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije and a technical team from the Metro works' Department visited the location and met with the management of the company to have firsthand information of the situation.

After a walk-through visual inspection of the building and a brief technical meeting, the Mayor announced that in the interest of all parties con­cerned, all necessary procedures that would ensure the structural safety of the building had not been compromised would be undertaken and followed.

True to his words, Dr Vanderpuije engaged the services of an inde­pendent certified Engineer, Frank Fiifi Yawson, to inspect the building.

In his recommendation after the inspection, Ing. Yawson pointed out that the distribution of the loads on the floors should be maintained whilst occurrence of concentrated load is avoided.

Ing. Yawson stressed that the building as it stood was structurally sound and safe for use as intended, contrary to the news item that portrayed the MelcomPlus Building as being unsafe for use.

Some findings saw; reinforced frame struc­ture made of; 150mm thick solid slab, 250mm x 450mm floor bean, 250mm x 450mm column and, the structural drawing was certified by Ing. Edward Sanjok (MGhlE 01811).

His report, therefore, indicated that the notion of crack propagation in the columns is without any merit and the observed cracking as portrayed had no adverse structural implication since it occurred in the plaster board that was used to seal off the expansion joint.

"The structural members showed no alarm­ing visible and physical sign of structural dis­tress. The information contained in the certi­fied as-built drawings is confirmed by the find­ings of the structural assessment," the report said.

Editor's Note:

In view of this report, Myjoyonline.com wishes to retract our report on concerns raised by shoppers who were alarmed by what they thought were cracks in the MelcomPlus building.

They sent us photographs followed by distress calls claiming they had spotted cracks in the building.

But as the New Crusading Guide newspaper report indicate, the cracks do not pose any danger, according to engineers, and to that extent, we duly apologise unreservedly for any inconvenience our report may have caused Melcom.