A once bustling hub of diplomatic activity, the 10-storey Foreign Ministry office building in Accra now stands silent, a decaying relic of a bygone era.

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Gutted by a devastating fire on the evening of October 21, 2009, the edifice has since languished in abandonment, becoming a cause for concern as it poses potential danger to the surrounding community.

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A recent visit by The Independent Ghana revealed that the building remains standing, with evident signs of wear and tear due to prolonged exposure to harsh weather conditions.

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The windows are broken, the walls are cracked, and the roof is damaged. Plants have grown inside and outside the building, creating a habitat for animals and insects. The building also shares a compound with the Accra Regional Passport Office, near Tema Station, where hundreds of people visit daily to apply for or renew their passports.

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The National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) issued a warning for the demolition of the structure last year of the 10-storey structure, saying it would be best to pull down the building to prevent any disaster.

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Mr Ayisi cited the compromised integrity of these buildings and the potential disasters they could unleash.

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Director of Communication of NADMO, Mr George Ayisi, speaking to the media in April 2022, said the integrity of the building has been compromised and no engineer would advise to keep it and pointed out the high nature of the building and the potential disastrous impact it would have on nearby structures and people should it collapse.

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“The Foreign Affairs building is high. God forbid if something happens, it may affect (people). I think we should do the needful, if we have to pull them down. Let’s get the experts so they can pull it down without causing harm to adjoining places so that we will feel safer,” he said in an interview with the Ghanaian Times in 2022.

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“We can put up another structure on it because as of now no one is using it and it is just standing there. It poses danger to all of us. So the authority that are clothed with the power to do that let them act and act fast,” he added.

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He is also reported to have mentioned that NADMO had presented a report to the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies, urging them to address the building since NADMO lacked the authority to carry out the demolition.

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He explained that NADMO was anticipating the approval of a legislative instrument (LI) for the NADMO Act 2016 (Act 927). This legislative instrument would grant NADMO the authority to implement some of its recommendations and conduct site inspections before granting permits.

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Nevertheless, the current status of the advocacy for the legislative instrument remains unclear, leaving questions about the extent of progress and the actions taken by NADMO to expedite the demolition of the building.The old Foreign Affairs building is one of many state buildings that have been abandoned for various reasons and have either become death traps or breeding hubs for stray animals as well as an unofficial shelter for the homeless and the mentally ill.

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On the evening of October 21, 2009, a fire destroyed the old Foreign Affairs building. It happened after most workers had left for the day. The fire quickly spread through the 10-storey building, destroying documents, computers, and other equipment. People who saw it said the building looked like a "skeleton" afterwards.Firefighters worked for hours, and one of them got hurt by falling debris. He was the only person injured. Many important documents were also lost in the fire. The then Foreign Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, mentioned that the fire had serious consequences for Ghana. The cause of the fire was unknown at the time and is still a mystery. The Independent Ghana is starting a campaign to bring attention to various buildings that urgently require intervention. The goal is to ensure that public funds are used efficiently, especially for projects that tend to be delayed for extended periods or those that have the potential to become disasters in the future.

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The Old Foreign Affairs building is emblematic of a larger issue in Ghana, where numerous state buildings have been abandoned, turning into potential death traps or shelters for stray animals and the homeless.

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Many of these structures, including the Foreign Affairs building, have developed cracks, have been left unattended for years after disasters struck.

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