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The ongoing demolition by some Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in Accra of structures sited on waterways and/or without requisite permit is expected to suffer a major setback as some owners of the properties are heading to court to stop the exercise.

Reports reaching this paper indicate that a number of the owners of the structures deemed illegal and therefore earmarked for demolition in the coming days, have started consulting their lawyers to use the law courts to tie the hands of government institutions undertaking the exercise.

Most of the affected persons contemplating going to court, The aL-hAJJ’s investigations have revealed are persons who claim they have all necessary and valid documents, including permits, and ironically, issued by the MMDAs undertaking the exercise.

Following last Wednesday devastating flood and petrol station explosion that killed 160 people, some MMDAs in the nation’s capital, Accra, have started demolishing structures and buildings supposed to be standing on waterways and illegal places.

Residents and businesses in Accra and its environs, particularly the Kwame Nkrumah Circle area, Adabraka, Awoshie, Mallam, North Kaneshie, Abeka, Dansoman and Odorkor are reeling from the June 3 floods that claimed many lives and destroyed properties.

Crestfallen by the number of deaths and destruction of properties, President John Dramani Mahama last week warned that unauthorized structures in the capital and buildings erected on waterways will no longer be tolerated.

A fuel station at Mile 7 in Achimota, Accra, allegedly belonging to the Member of Parliament for Ayawaso East, Naser Toure Mahama, and other structures have been knock down by the Ga West Municipal assembly.

The demolition was met with fierce resistance by residents of the area who claimed that the fuel station was not in a water way. Earlier, a middle-aged man believed to be an aide to the MP climbed on top of the filling station to halt the demolishing but was unsuccessful.

A similar exercise at Bukom in the Odododiodio constituency by Accra Metropolitan Assembly was also halted by MP for the area, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuije, who doubles as deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development.

The MMDAs have served notice that in the coming days they will use all legitimate means to clear all illegal or wrongful sited structures, especially those sitting on waterways and have earmarked them for demolition to avert another disturbing catastrophe.

But, information gathered by The aL-hAJJ indicate that while the assemblies are preparing to carry out the exercise to the latter, owners of the affected properties are also gearing up to go to the Human rights court for injunction to stop the action.

There are reports that some of them are also contemplating going to court to seek compensation for their demolished structures and possible get the state to pay them judgment debts.