Road and Building Consultant, Ing. Abdulai Mahama, has re-echoed the safety issues of many high-rise buildings in Accra, revealing that a significant number of them are structurally vulnerable.
In his words, many of these buildings are standing “by the grace of God” rather than strict engineering compliance.
Speaking in an interview with The High Street Journal, on the back of recurring building collapses recently, Ing. Mahama revisited earlier remarks made in 2020, where he cautioned that several buildings in the capital may not have been constructed under proper engineering supervision, despite appearing stable on the surface.
A Personal Experience
Revealing how widespread and dangerous the situation could be, he narrated that some field assessments conducted on some structures revealed disturbing weaknesses.
He mentioned dire situations, including cases where buildings visibly vibrated even under the movement of heavy vehicles nearby. This raised concerns about their structural integrity and long-term safety.
He argued that the issue is not only technical but deeply systemic, rooted in poor construction practices, weak enforcement, and widespread disregard for professional engineering input.
“Most of the storey buildings in Accra are standing by the grace of God,” he remarked, adding that, “We went to do some structural integrity analysis for some buildings in Accra. When we were handling one of them, a tipper truck was passing by and realized that our building was vibrating. We quickly had to move and later prepare to do what we call proper retrofitting of the structure.”
Weak Enforcement and Quack Construction Practices
Ing. Mahama blamed the situation partly on the increasing involvement of unqualified artisans and informal contractors in major construction projects. He told The High Street Journal that while certified engineers are available to design and supervise projects, many developers bypass them in favour of cheaper, unqualified labour.
In many cases, he said, regulatory assemblies in same cases intervene, only after construction has begun, often imposing fines that do little to stop continued unsafe building practices.
“After the design has been certified by the assembly, it is expected that the assembly would periodically come to your site as you commence with the construction your foundation. They have to check and certify at every milestone of works executed before you continue. But the Local Assembly often justify their inability to visit construction sites regularly due to financial challenges.
They also may cite security concerns, as some of these areas are “no-go areas” because of the presence of armed Land guards.
Engineers and Built Professionals Ignored
Drawing a comparison to medical practice, he explained that engineers play a similar role in construction as doctors do in healthcare. They diagnose conditions and prescribe safe solutions.
“When you are not well, and you go to the hospital, the doctor will take your blood sample and give it to a laboratory technician to run a test for you. When they are done, based on the outcome of the results, they will administer a particular medicine in line with your ailment,” he noted, quickly adding that, “When it comes to building projects, the doctors are the engineers.”
However, he lamented that many developers ignore this process entirely, choosing instead to proceed with construction decisions without proper professional guidance, thereby exposing lives and investments to avoidable risk.
Soil Testing and Hidden Structural Risks
He further highlighted poor adherence to soil testing requirements as a major contributor to building failures. According to him, soil analysis is critical in determining whether the ground can support a structure with an expected load, especially under prolonged rainfall or changing environmental conditions.
He referenced technical measures such as California Bearing Ratio (CBR) tests, which help engineers assess how soil behaves under sustained moisture and pressure.
Without such assessments, he warned, buildings may gradually sink or weaken without visible early warning signs. Such tests enable structural engineers to design and sometimes tie your columns together with ground beams due to localized conditions of the site
The Cost of Ignoring Engineering Standards
Ing. Mahama stressed that proper material selection and adherence to certified design specifications are essential for safety and durability.
He noted that substituting or misusing reinforcement materials without engineering approval compromises structural strength, increasing the likelihood of failure over time. He warned that unless strict enforcement and public discipline improve, Ghana risks continuing to witness preventable building collapses.
“Most of the people disregard the engineers and do their own thing. They go in to engage inexperienced artisans, who will say they have done some of this construction before. Then they give their buildings to these people to do the work,” he narrated.
He continued, “It’s like you have just dedicated or you have just endangered your life and the life of others by engaging cheap and less experienced artisans. You don’t value your life. You are just giving your life to somebody to just determine when the building should come down, or when it should not come down.”
The Bottomline
The road and construction consultant reiterated that Architects, certified draftsmen, structural engineers, etc, must be given full authority in construction processes, from design to execution and inspection.
He cautioned that if professional standards are consistently ignored, the country may continue to rely on luck rather than sound engineering certainty to keep buildings standing.
