Linda Ocloo, the Greater Accra Minister, has issued an apology, following public backlash over comments suggesting that postings to the northern part of Ghana could be perceived as a form of punishment.
According to Linda Ocloo, her remarks in the viral video were just a genuine slip, which does not reflect her considered views.
In a press statement issued by the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (GARCC), the minister stated, “My attention has been drawn to a widely circulated video in which I made remarks suggesting that postings to the northern part of our beloved country could be considered as a form of punishment”.
“I wish to state, without reservation, that the comments captured in the video were a genuine slip in communication and do not reflect my considered views.”
“Regrettably, my choice of words created the unintended impression that such postings were punitive,” she said.
“I sincerely acknowledge the concerns that this has generated and offer my unreserved apology to all Ghanaians, especially my brothers and sisters in the northern regions, for any misunderstanding, offence, or discomfort caused,” she stated.
The Greater Accra Regional Minister’s apology comes after she once again caused a stir with her public remarks after revealing that some officials have been transferred to the North as punishment.
According to Linda Ocloo, officials of the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (GARCC) who are issuing illegal building permits have been transferred to the north, just to serve as a kind of punishment for them.
Speaking during a demolition exercise on May 5, 2026, the Greater Accra Regional Minister stated, “If you issue a permit to an illegal structure, knowing very well that the place is illegal, you will also face the law…some of them have been transferred to the north, just to serve as a kind of punishment for them, so that when they realize that what they did was wrong, they are brought back to Accra or other places.”
In related news, several illegal structures at the Sakumono Ramsar Site in the Greater Accra Region have been demolished as part of measures to reduce flooding.
The demolition exercise is being carried out by the Greater Accra Regional Security Council with support from the National Security and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).
Dr Joseph Bikanyi Kuyon, the Director-General of NADMO, has insisted that the state will not allow the interests of a few individuals to undermine the safety of the mass Ghanaians.
Also, Linda Ocloo has revealed owners of the affected structures had been served with several notices.
Meanwhile, Ing Abdulai Mahama, a road and building consultant, has backed the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Ocloo, and her team for the ongoing demolition of structures encroaching on the Kepshie Lagoon.
The road and building consultant commended Linda Ocloo for her work so far, adding that the exercise was a necessary step to avert recurring floods in the capital.
According to him, the reclamation of lagoons, streams, and ponds has significantly increased Ghana’s vulnerability to flooding.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Tuesday, January 27, Ing. Mahama stated, “Thumbs up to the Greater Accra Regional Minister and the team for what they are doing. I don’t know the persistence with which Ghanaians move to fill lakes, streams and ponds.
It looks like we don’t want them, yet the benefit of rivers and ponds is that, when we have a large volume of water, they accommodate it and release it gradually into the surrounding dry land”.
“But the more we consume these lakes and wetlands, the more we expose ourselves to massive floods that will inundate the country. On this call, I want to applaud the Minister,” he said.
Watch the video below:
@jojo_stephen #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #tiktok #fypシ #foryourpage #foryoupage ♬ original sound – Jojo Stephen
— Hon. Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo (@HonLindaAkweley) May 6, 2026