A turf war is brewing in the harbour city between the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) led by Mayor Ebi Bright – the first female Mayor of Tema – and the state housing developer TDC Ghana Ltd led by Managing Director Courage Makafui Nunekpeku.
The clash centers on a protected site situated within community 1 site 3 and site 8 which has been Leased to Traders by the TMA where they pay annual permit or ground fees.
Information available to Senaradioonline.com indicates that the fight between the two Appointees of President Mahama has to do with turf supremacy.
TDC maintains that land in Tema, including Communities 1 site 3 and 8 and other acquisition zones, remains public property vested solely in TDC but the TMA, under Mayor Ebi Bright, argues that as the local planning authority, it has responsibility for protecting residents, traders, and public spaces from aggressive enforcement.
Meanwhile Chairman of Site 3 and 8 Residence Association Isaac Odeneho Asamoah tells your authoritative senaradioonline.com that the TDC Boss, inspite of an intervention by the Tema Mayor for TDC to stop the redevelopment of the said land, the TDC Boss ignored those interventions and went ahead to demolish the housing structures on the land without recourse to the Tema Mayor.
He added that the issue is still in court yet the TDC Boss disregarded the court case and demolished the structures nonetheless.
On Wednesday however, in what appears to be “you do me I do you” action, the Tema Mayor with her taskforce brazenly stormed the area and demolished the building being put up by the TDC.
The tension according to Odeneho Asamoah is not new as he said TDC’s taskforce has previously been accused of manhandling traders and residents during demolitions.
Attempts to speak to both Ebi Bright and Courage Nunekpeku proved futile but snippets of information from Ebi Bright’s camp says the Assembly will not allow demolitions or land re-entries without due engagement with the Assembly and affected families whilst TDC, on the other hand, insists it is on a reclamation drive.
For now, residents are caught in the middle – between TMA building permits and TDC land titles.
It is therefore the hope of Residents that the two state agencies will work together to prevent the demolishing and counter -demolishing which they say affect them negatively.
Many Political Watchers are also reading political meaning into the actions of both Apppintees given that both of them challenged each other in a parliamentary primaries.
Source:www.senaradioonline.com
