TMA ejects heavy duty vehicle drivers from Mankoadze Roundabout

Tema, April 8, GNA - The Tema Metropolitan Task Force, in collaboration with the Police, on Thursday ejected heavy duty truck drivers from operating on a piece of land near the Mankoadze Roundabout. The ejection which was carried out by the 34-member team, came after several eviction notices had been issued to the drivers numbering about 200, to quit the three-acre land.

The exercise also saw the towing away of some heavy duty trucks parked at the premises. At about 1220 hours when the Ghana News Agency (GNA) got to the premises, some of the drivers were hurling insults at the task force members, while others carrying schnapps and eggs, threatened to curse the law enforcers. About 15 Police Officers, using a Police towing vehicle and three pick-up vehicles owned by the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA), undertook the operation.

Speaking to the GNA, Mr. Ebo Abban, Assistant Secretary of the Tema Mankoadze Heavy Duty Drivers Cooperative Union, said about three weeks ago, the TMA verbally informed them to quit the place. Mr. Abban alleged that several attempts to meet with the Metropolitan Engineer proved futile, as he always walked them out of his office. He claimed that even though they were aware that the land formed part of the city's greenbelt, they had occupied the premises for over 20 years without any objection from the TMA. Mr. Abban added that, it was, therefore, unfortunate that the TMA officials had refused to give them ample time to vacate the place or provide them with an alternative parking space. He indicated that most of the drivers used the place which has chop bars and washrooms, as waiting bays, after discharging foodstuffs, cocoa and cashew nuts from the Brong-Ahafo and Northern Regions, while waiting to load sugar and rice back to the two regions. The Assistant Secretary alleged that the Police officials who accompanied the task force fired several gun shots and tear-gas, injuring some of its members in the process.

The drivers claimed that the TMA wanted to construct a bus terminal on the land for "VIP buses" from Kumasi. Mr. Humphrey Nyarko, Senior Building Inspector of the TMA, who led the team for the demolition exercise, denied the use of tear-gas at the premises, but stated that he heard gun shots but could not tell where they came from. Mr. Nyarko said the exercise became necessary when his department received a message on Thursday morning that one of the drivers had blocked the dual carriage road with a heavy duty truck, thus impeding the free flow of traffic. Mr. Frank Asante, Public Relations Officer of the TMA, said the Assembly had the mandate, under Act 462 section 55, to eject illegal occupants without notice. Mr. Asante therefore challenged the drivers to produce documents proving their legitimate occupation of the land. He said the ejection exercise was part of the Assembly's restoration agenda to beautify the Metropolis.