The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has called for the removal of unauthorised structures encroaching on Ghana’s forts, castles and other heritage sites.

She says the growing encroachment poses a threat to the character, visual appeal and long-term preservation of the country’s historic assets.

Speaking at a symposium on the Korea-Ghana Heritage Project in Accra, the Minister said stronger collaboration with communities living around heritage sites was necessary to address the problem.

According to Ms Gomashie, inadequate engagement with residents often creates resistance when authorities attempt to remove structures considered illegal.

She said communities must be made to understand the cultural and historical significance of the sites and why their protection is in the national interest.

“Often, we leave out the engagement with the community. And so they don’t see the importance of why our, for example, call for the demolition of illegal structures around the forts and castles,” she said.

The Minister warned that the scale of encroachment around some heritage sites had reached worrying levels and required urgent intervention.

She said a proper assessment of the situation would reveal the extent to which structures had spread into the designated buffer zones of some forts and castles.

“If I show you pictures of the encroachment on the buffer for the forts and castles, you will join me in doing Aluta,” she said.

Ms Gomashie stressed that protecting Ghana’s heritage cannot be left to government alone.

She called for a coordinated effort involving government agencies, traditional authorities, local communities and other stakeholders to safeguard the country’s forts, castles and related heritage assets.

The Minister said such collaboration would be critical to ensuring that Ghana’s historic sites are preserved and remain available for future generations.