Kaiser flats need massive renovation

The roof of one of the rooms at the Kaiser flats in Tema caved in and nearly crushed an occupant who had just left the room, Mr Michael Adjei, a resident of the facility has hinted.

Mr Adjei, in an interview with the GNA, said due to lack of accommodation in Accra and its environs, most residents have resolved to live in the facility even though their lives are in danger.

"Most of these occurrences are hidden from the public for fear it would cause our ejection."

He observed that four of the flats are so devastated that the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) has indicated their preparedness to pull them down.

Ms Dorothy Asare-Kumah, the Public Relations Officer of the TDC said some of the flats are in very bad shape and there are plans to reconstruct the whole facility as part of the re-development project for Tema.

She expressed worry that the tenants are staying in the facility after several attempts to get them out.

She said the TDC gave the residents lands to relocate but they did not do so.

She said the corporation has stopped taking rents from the tenants to make their case stronger.

Mr Lomotey, the Spokesperson for the tenants, said the lands given to the tenants are not free explaining and where asked to purchase the lands during a three- month grace period

He said most of the tenants are however prepared to move out if TDC could come out with a list of those they recognise as statutory tenants for compensation purposes.

According to him TDC is refusing to accord some tenants statutory status by claiming they have no contract with them and therefore are mere squatters who must be ejected accordingly. “This is why we are refusing to leave because that would mean being thrown unto the streets,” Mr Lomotey said.