Displaced Adjei Kojo residents relocate

By: Benjamin Xornam Glover / Daily Graphic / Ghana | Tuesday, 11 February 2014

A number of displaced families at Promised Land and Solomon City near Adjei Kojo, where there was massive demolition, have relocated. A few families who claim they have nowhere to go, however, continue to reside in tents provided by the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO). On a visit to the area at the weekend, a little over two weeks after the demolition exercise which displaced over 800 persons, mostly women, children and the aged, the Daily Graphic reporter saw that the site was calm, since some of the victims had relocated, but a few families were still around. They have been living in tents provided by the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO). An occupant of one of the tents told the Daily Graphic that life in the tent had not be very comfortable but she and her family had no choice. Relief items In addition to the tents, used clothing, mosquito nets and coils provided initially by the NADMO, it has provided a 13,500-litre water container to supply potable water to the people. The Ashaiman District branch of the Church of Pentecost has also provided the victims with water containers that would supply water to those living in the community. One of the victims, who gave his name only as Albert, said majority of the affected persons had moved out of the area to seek refuge with relatives elsewhere. "We have nowhere to go. All our investments went into the construction of our homes which have been pulled down and we have to make do with these tents," he said. During a visit to the area last Friday, the reporter noticed that a makeshift school had been created under a tree to educate the children who had been loitering after being displaced during the demolition exercise. Mr Humphrey Daniel Banini, a victim who volunteered to teach children whose parents were affected by the demolition, told the Daily Graphic that he decided to do that to help the children who were loitering after their school block was pulled down during the demolition exercise so that they would find it easier to return to school. Alleged Intimidation Mr Banini bemoaned what he termed the continuous harassment of the victims by some military personnel who had camped near the demolition site. He alleged that on January 29, 2014 and at about 10:30 p.m., some military personnel who carried out the exercise stormed the demolition site, forcibly ejected some families who were sleeping in two of the tents mounted by NADMO, and took the tents to their camp. Mr Banini, whose claim was supported by other victims, said the families whose tents were taken away by the military personnel had no option but to leave the site. He also said some of the victims, led by some of the chiefs who sold the land to them, were pursuing the case in court to prove ownership of the land. "We are not leaving this land until the case is settled in the courts," he stressed. An opinion leader in the community, Mr Mawudem Kumador, alleged in an interview that some security personnel who had pitched camp near the demolition site had cut the pipelines carrying water to houses that had not been touched in the demolition exercise. He then spoke of alleged intimidation by some security personnel, especially at night, stressing that "the soldiers are unduly harassing us in the neighbourhood just to intimidate us." Background to demolition exercise The Tema Development Company (TDC), from January 20 to 22, 2014, embarked on an exercise to demolish some illegal structures that fell within the Tema Acquisition Area, which was being developed by private people. Officials of the TDC explained that it realised that some of its lands had been taken over by land guards and persons parading themselves as chiefs. According to the TDC, following the successful execution of the survey exercise conducted by the 48 Engineers Regiment in the area, the company agreed to regularise over 3,000 houses in the area, covering a total of 905 acres of encroached lands. The TDC said it made it clear to residents at a meeting organised in 2013 that as part of the survey, structures found in the layout would be removed. The structures to be removed were classified into three categories: Those on water courses, road corridor and planned project sites. Based on this the TDC, said notices were served to occupants of structures, starting with a demand for land, and building documents and permits. This was followed by notices to remove illegal structures and a final warning. Houses on 10 acres out of the 905 acres were identified. According to the TDC, about 150 of the houses demolished were sited on about 10 acres of encroached lands out of a total 905 acres earmarked for regularisation. Writer's email: benjamin.glover@graphic.com.gh http://graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/17417-displaced-adjei-kojo-residents-relocate.html http://graphic.com.gh/present-day-adjei-kojo.html