Stan Xoese Dogbe the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, has directed the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (GARCC) to commence the ecological restoration of reclaimed sections of the Kpeshie Lagoon following the removal of illegal structures within the wetland’s protected buffer zone.
According to the Deputy Chief of Staff, the restoration will involve the Forestry Commission and the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).
He further revealed plans to plant coconut and other suitable trees while providing the environmental safeguards needed to restore the fragile ecosystem.
The directive was issued at Laboma following a demolition exercise by the Post Flood Mitigation Task Force as part of ongoing measures to restore flood-control infrastructure and protect critical water retention areas across Greater Accra.
Stan Dogbe highlighted that the objective is not simply to clear the area, but to return the reclaimed sections to their natural state, strengthen the lagoon’s capacity to retain floodwaters and prevent future encroachment.
The Kpeshie Lagoon is among Accra’s critical flood intervention points, with years of reclamation, sand filling and development having reduced its natural water-holding capacity.
With the clearance now underway, authorities will move towards debris removal, vegetation restoration and sustained environmental protection to strengthen the wetland’s resilience against future flooding.
In a Facebook post, Stan Dogbe stated, “I have directed the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (GARCC) to prepare to begin the ecological restoration of the reclaimed sections of the Kpeshie Lagoon following the removal of illegal structures within the wetland’s protected buffer zone.
The restoration will involve the Forestry Commission, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), and the Military.
We will clear the debris, dredge the area and plant coconut and other suitable trees to restore the reclaimed sections to their natural state, strengthen the lagoon’s capacity to retain floodwaters and prevent future encroachment”.
Meanwhile, Stan Dogbe, the Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Operations and Chairman of the National Flood Mitigation Taskforce, has said the demolition exercise at the Laboma beach enclave was not a blanket demolition of businesses in the area.
He disclosed that the exercise targeted specifically marked structures that had to be removed to allow for the dredging of silted areas within the Kpeshie Lagoon’s water-retention basin.
Stan Dogbe explained that the basin, which historically held water flowing downstream into the sea, has been affected by the destruction of vegetation.
He added that the developments have affected the flow of water from upstream towards the sea and reduced the basin’s capacity to retain floodwaters.
In a Facebook post, he wrote, “Sunday morning’s exercise by the Post Flood Mitigation Task Force and the REGSEC was not a demolition of Laboma”.
“It is these structures that the owners were alerted more than a month ago, by the REGSEC, that were pulled down on Sunday morning. Other structures and businesses have not been touched because that is not within the work scope and mandate of the Task Force,” he said.
His comment follows the demolition exercise at the Laboma enclave that began in the early hours of Sunday, September 13, 2026, in the La Dade-Kotopon Municipality, with several other structures located within the protected area also affected.
According to authorities, the affected developments fall within designated buffer zones of the Kpeshie Lagoon and are therefore not permitted to remain in the area.
Reports suggest the exercise follows a directive issued on August 7, 2026, ordering the removal of structures encroaching on waterways and their buffer zones as part of broader measures to tackle flooding.
The demolition exercise affected the popular Pink Flamingo Lounge at Laboma Beach and other structures on Sunday, September 13, as the Post Flood Mitigation Taskforce intensified efforts to reclaim areas identified as falling within the protected buffer zone.
See the post below:
@ghnow_ Scenes from ongoing demolition at Laboma beach in Accra as part of government's plans to curb flooding in Accra #GHnow #fyp ♬ Breaking News – DM Production
@ghnow_ Ongoing demolition at Laboma beach in Accra as part of government's plans to curb flooding in Accra #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – ADAAMAINA
