Adenta (Greater Accra), 25 March '99 -
Adenta (Greater Accra), 25 March '99 - The Tema Municipal Assembly (TMA) and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) have now teamed up to control unauthorised developments along their common border. The TMA and the AMA will ensure that all public lands will be protected while buildings erected without permits will be pulled down to show developers that there are laws governing constructional works in the country. Nii Armah Ashietey, Tema Municipal Chief Executive, and Mr Addoquaye Addo, AMA Chief Executive, gave the warning when the two of them and other officials from the Town and Country Planning Department inspected some unauthorised development along their common border. The places include Nungua, Baatsonaa, Adenta and Otinshie where developers have either encroached on public or institutional lands or were using certain areas as refuse dumps or as toilets. Nii Ashietey noted that the TMA has not been able to take action in certain areas because the residents have challenged the TMA that it has no jurisdiction over them. A typical example is a football park near the Nungua police barrier where half of the pitch has been converted into a refuse dump and toilet. At Baatsonaa, an area meant for a lorry park, market and shopping centre to ease the congestion in Accra Central is being developed into residential houses. Mr Addo explained that even though certain plots of land have not been properly acquired by the government, the owners have no right to sell the plots to individuals to change the planning schemes of the areas.
