By The Interior Minister, Hon. Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has inaugurated a 13-member Committee of Inquiry to investigate the causes of Ghana’s recent cases of deadly building collapses.
The committee, established by the Ministry of the Interior, is expected to examine the underlying issues behind the incidents, including possible failures in systems, processes, oversight, and accountability within the construction sector.
Speaking at the inauguration on Tuesday, June 16, the Minister said building collapses should not be viewed only as structural failures but also as indications of deeper institutional and regulatory challenges.
“The collapse of a building is not merely a structural failure. It is often a failure of systems, processes, oversight, and accountability. We owe it to the victims and future generations to ensure that the lessons from these incidents lead to meaningful reforms,” he stated.
The committee’s work will focus on identifying factors such as structural defects, the use of defective construction materials, design deficiencies, construction malpractice, environmental degradation, climate-related factors, human negligence, and institutional failures.
Hon. Muntaka urged members of the committee to conduct their work with professionalism, objectivity, independence, and integrity, stressing that their recommendations must be practical, evidence-based, and capable of implementation.
He said the inquiry should go beyond identifying the causes of the incidents and help develop measures to improve construction safety, strengthen regulatory oversight, enhance enforcement mechanisms, and build resilience within communities.
The Minister also called on relevant institutions, professional bodies, developers, property owners, communities, and other stakeholders to cooperate fully with the committee.
He warned that the era of impunity regarding unsafe buildings must end, adding that lessons from the inquiry should lead to lasting reforms in the country’s construction practices.
Chairman of the Committee, Brigadier General B. F. Kusi, thanked the Minister for the confidence reposed in the team and assured that members would deliver a report that could serve as a blueprint for addressing challenges in the sector.
