Ghana Atomic Energy Commission vows to demolish all unauthorised structures on its lands
The Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) on Thursday vowed not to compromise Ghana’s nuclear safety and security, warning encroachers on the Commission’s land to relocate their investments or have them demolished.
“GAEC remains committed to utilize nuclear science and technology to address socio-economic problems and has the responsibility to protect the people from radiation, thus any form of encroachment on lands earmarked for the Commission will not be tolerated”, said Professor Edward Akaho, Director-General of GAEC at a press conference in Accra.
He was briefing the media on the early Thursday’s demolition of structures at the proposed International Business District being constructed on the Commission’s land near the Kwabenya roundabout.
Prof Akaho said the project was a threat to the security of the country because of the magnitude of the development and the collaboration of foreigners in that endeavour.
He stated that nowhere in the world does a country permit foreign interest near its strategic national security installations and that that project violated Ghana’s nuclear safety regime.
“We cannot have people building shopping malls near GAEC. And its even more dangerous to allow foreigners to put up structures near our reactor. In fact this is not permissible in any country and Ghana should not be different.”
Prof. Akaho said GAEC was not against investments that would benefit the people but would not permit any investment near high radiation facilities and more so when the Commission had earmarked the land for a future nuclear facility.
He said the Commission intended to construct a Nuclear Power Research Institute and other nuclear related facilities and thus could not allow the land to be plotted for estate developers.
“GAEC lands are not for the construction of shopping malls, apartments, hotels and warehouses because this could pose serious problems for emergency evacuation in the event of any nuclear accident or incident.”
Prof. Akaho said GAEC had an approved International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) approved project to build a Nuclear Imaging Centre for the use of Radio-pharmaceuticals for early detection of various forms of cancers that are emerging and which has become a public health issue.
He said the private developer of the project, Anaina International Company Limited, had not carried out an Environmental Protection Agency requirement of environmental impact assessment and therefore could not have had a permit to commence the project.
“We will ensure that public safety is ensured and we advise that private developer to relocate his project to another suitable part of the country.
The National Security, at the request of the GAEC, on Thursday dawn demolished structures deemed by the Commission to have been illegally sited on its land.
Kwabena Asante, MD of Anaina later told newsmen that he was taking the GAEC to court for demolishing the structures because they had no right to do so.
“This demolition exercise is criminal and our lawyers would pursue this matter in court”, he said.
Source: GNA