{
  "id": 12645002,
  "title": "Mahama calls for sanctions over building collapses",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/mahama-calls-for-sanctions-over-building-collapses",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-07T14:09:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "GBC Ghana",
    "slug": "gbc-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.gbcghanaonline.com/general/mahama-calls-12/2026/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "President John Dramani Mahama has urged officials responsible for approving and monitoring building construction to face sanctions when structures collapse due to safety oversight failures. The call came during his address to the National Conference on Housing Finance in Accra on October 7, 2026. Mahama expressed alarm at the persistent construction of buildings despite receiving \"Stop Work\" orders from district assemblies. He emphasized the need to identify those responsible for ensuring building safety and hold them accountable when collapses occur. The President noted that developers often ignored these notices, treating them as a deterrent rather than a safety measure. Mahama warned of the potential fatal consequences, highlighting the dire risk of buildings collapsing during active construction. He urged the Ministry of Local Government to address the issue with seriousness, demanding accountability for breaches of safety requirements. The President's comments follow ongoing discussions at the conference on enhancing housing conditions, safety, and access to adequate housing nationwide.",
  "summary": "By Jennifer Nerkie Kenney President John Dramani Mahama has called for officials responsible for approving and monitoring building construction to be sanctioned when buildings collapse due to failures in safety oversight. He said the authorities must establish who was responsible for ensuring that a building was safe and hold that person accountable when a collapse […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "Mahama orders sanctions for officials who fail to enforce building safety rules",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/mahama-orders-sanctions-for-officials-who-fail-to-enforce-building",
        "published": "2026-10-07T12:54:31.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Adom Online",
        "title": "Mahama orders sanctions for officials who fail to enforce building safety rules",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/mahama-orders-sanctions-for-officials-who-fail-to-enforce-building-12652445",
        "published": "2026-10-07T15:15:16.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}