Some fishermen of Dzelukope in the Keta Municipality have accused the management of Agblor Lodge of putting up illegal structures close to the sea.
According to them, the hotel which has been built on the beach in Keta is causing a lot of havoc and adversely affecting their fishing activities.
The fishermen say the building’s construction on the beach has worsened the tidal waves situation in the area owing to a minor sea defence wall built by the hotel’s management to protect the hotel’s foundations from sea erosion.
They explained that the disruption caused by the defence wall has intensified the area’s tidal waves causing flooding and destruction of property.
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They say unless the buildings are demolished, the devastation of the sea will continue and the entire stretch may be destroyed by the waves.
The residents noted that they have, on several occasions, complained to the hotel owner to halt his construction, but their pleas fell on deaf ears.
The residents say the hotel was a stark contrast to their humble homes, and they couldn’t understand how it had received the necessary permits to be built so close to the sea making the residents uncomfortable.
The breaking point came when a series of unusually strong tidal waves began to hit the village. Boats were smashed against the docks, homes were flooded, and the very livelihood of the fishermen was at stake.
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The Chief Fisherman, Seth Agbokedey, lamented the effects of the waves as a result of the structure erected by the hotel.
He said something urgent must be done about the situation before calamity looms and the entire stretch is wiped out completely. Some other residents and fishermen who complained about the situation said they are unable to go fishing due to the destruction of their nets by the erected structure.
”We have lived here for generations, and we know these waters better than anyone. Something about your hotel is disturbing the balance of nature, and we won’t stand idly by as our village is threatened,” Mr Agbokedey said.
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The residents said the hotel’s foundation had indeed been laid in violation of several environmental regulations. The illegal construction near the sea according to the residents was disrupting the natural flow of water, leading to increased tidal waves.
However, the owner of the hotel, Godwin Ahadzi, said his structure on the beach is protecting it rather than destroying it and has attributed the issues to the sand-winning activities in the area.
Mr Ahadzi noted that the assembly and authorities have not been hard on the illegal sand-winning activities in Dzelukope and the adjoining communities in the municipality, a situation which he said should rather be addressed instead of concentrating on his facility.
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Mr. Ahadzi said he has all the legal documents to have the structure where it is currently and that he believes the fishermen and some people just want to destroy his plans.
“We have adhered to all the necessary regulations and have made substantial contributions to this community, their allegations are unfounded.”
Meanwhile, the MCE for Keta, Emmanuel Gemegah, in an interview refuted the hotel owner’s claim.
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He said the hotel owner has no legal documents to construct any building by the sea adding that he had on several occasions warned Mr. Ahadzi against the illegal construction – his warnings went unheeded.
Mr Gemegah also said while the assembly tries its best to regulate the building of illegal structures, the owner of the hotel has been difficult and has refused to do the right thing by adhering to the rules and regulations of the assembly.
He insisted that the hotel ought to be removed from the site to remedy the situation.
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