TDC demolishes houses at Adjei Kojo

By: Rose Hayford Darko & Benjamin Xornam Glover / Daily Graphic / Ghana

More than 60 structures were yesterday demolished at Adjei Kojo near Ashaiman during an exercise to clear land acquired by the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) for the expansion of Tema. Before the exercise began, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tema West, Ms Irene Naa Toshie Addo, led some residents to protest against the exercise, but she was ignored by the TDC task force which carried out the exercise supervised by a joint military and police team. The exercise, code-named; “Operation Halt,” will be extended to Gulf City, Bethlehem and Ramsar Site near Klagon, among other areas. According to information gathered by the Daily Graphic, series of such exercises would be conducted in other areas to stop the sale of lands by land guards. As a result of the demolishing exercise, the affected residents were rendered homeless. When the Daily Graphic got to the scene, there were payloaders and bulldozers being directed by the security personnel to pull down the structures. The area was cordoned off by the security personnel to prevent people from interfering with the exercise. As a result of the agitation by some affected persons, the security personnel fired warning shots and attempted to apprehend any one who went close to the area. TDC’s reaction When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the TDC, Ms Dorothy Asare Kumah, explained that a survey was conducted last year by personnel of the 48 Engineers Regiment for the TDC to regularise those who had permits to build on the land. She said it was, however, found that most of the residents had built on waterways and in areas earmarked for roads, while others could not produce genuine documents covering the acquisition of the land. Assembly member The assembly member for the Adjei Kojo Electoral Area, Mr Romeo Elikplim Akahoho, whose jurisdiction is close to communities 23 and 24 where the operation was carried out, had to drive off quickly to avoid the wrath of both the residents and the security personnel. When he spoke to the Daily Graphic later, he explained that some residents in the affected area woke him up at dawn to seek his intervention. “In my capacity as the assembly member, l went to the scene to seek audience with the security personnel but I was unfortunately cautioned to move my car,” he said. According to him, the security said they would not allow any intervention to thwart their effort to clear the area of encroachers and land guards. http://graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/16234-tdc-demolishes-houses-at-adjei-kojo.html