The Chiefs and Elders of the Gbawe Kwatei Family have issued an urgent call to the government of Ghana, demanding immediate intervention to address recurring flooding, illegal waste dumping, and public safety threats affecting several communities in the Greater Accra Region.
The affected areas include Gbawe Oblogo, Gbawe Otodjor, and Gbawe Tsidiman (widely known as Tetegu), where residents have endured repeated inundations following heavy rainfall.
In a statement issued on June 4, 2026, the Family Secretary, Dr. Solomon Afutu Quartey, outlined the historical basis for the Family’s authority over the land, citing the Gbawe Clayfield Concession judgment of 1953, affirmed by the Supreme Court of the Gold Coast, which recognises the Gbawe Kwatei Family as the allodial owners.
A subsequent 50-year lease granted to the Government (then the Gold Coast Industrial Development Corporation) expired in 2003, with the land reverting to the Family by law and custom.
Illegal bumping blamed for recurring floods
According to the Family’s investigations, the principal cause of the flooding is the unlawful creation of refuse dumps that obstruct natural waterways and drainage channels serving the three communities.
Other contributing factors include inadequate drainage infrastructure and a historic lack of reengineering to accommodate increased runoff.
The Family has called on the government and relevant municipal authorities to immediately remove the illegal dumps and clear blocked waterways.
Specific appeals were directed to the Honourable Regional Minister to ensure the cessation of dumping at McCarthy South Down and Gbawe Oblogo.
The Family noted that while the Weija Circuit Court has ordered a halt to dumping at one of the sites, the practice continues unabated.
Govt urged to reengineer drainage
The Gbawe Kwatei Family is appealing to the government to reengineer the affected areas and construct a proper drainage system to significantly reduce the risk and impact of future flooding.
“We stand ready to work with government agencies, municipal engineers, and community representatives to develop and implement a sustainable drainage and waste-management plan,” the statement said.
The Chiefs further appealed for the desilting of the Densu River through Weija, Gbawe Oblogo, Tetegu and Otodjor as a critical measure to prevent future flooding.
Community members have been urged to avoid dumping refuse in waterways and to cooperate with clean-up efforts, while civil society organisations, environmental agencies and development partners are invited to support the reengineering and waste-management initiatives.
Family warns of further action, clarifies community name
The Family warned that if no remedial action follows their appeal, it will consider further steps to protect lives and property.
In a related development, the Gbawe Kwatei Family took the opportunity to clarify that there is no community called “Ngleshie Lafa Berima” within Gbawe.
The Family stated that Ga communities have existed since the 16th and early 17th centuries, and that new community names cannot be created in 2022.
The area known locally as Gbawe Sakumonaa, widely called Mallam Junction, should not be renamed, the Family emphasised. Moreover, the Jamestown Stool has established that they do not have a community or chief called Lafa Berima at that location.
The Family has called on the National Security and the Ghana Police Service to maintain peace and order at Mallam Junction.
The statement was issued and signed by Dr. Solomon Afutu Quartey, Family Secretary, on behalf of the Council of Principal Elders of the Gbawe Kwatei Family.
By Kingsley Asiedu
