Parliament submits report on Adjei Kojo demolition to Ministries of Housing, Lands for implementation

Parliament has submitted the report on Adjei Kojo demolition to Ministries of Works and Housing as well as Lands and Natural Resources for implementation.

In January, the Tema Development Corporation(TDC) accused the homeowners of encroachment and demolished about 150 houses in the area rendering about 800 residents homeless.

The TDC says it wants to use the land to build flats for low and middle income workers.

The demolition evoked public outcry and discontent amongst residents who were affected in the demolition exercise.

The exercise was chaotic with clashes between the affected residents and armed security personnel.

In March, a parliamentary select committee on housing was set up to look into the issue.

The Committee after investigations reported that the land belonged to the TDC, and asked the victims of the demolition to go to court and seek compensation from the chiefs who sold the lands to them.

The report which was adopted by the house on Friday blamed the residents for not doing enough due diligence before buying lands from local chiefs.

Chairman of the Committee, David Tetteh Assuming, told Joy News that parliament has ordered that all recommendations and comments on the floor of the house be directed to the Ministry of Works and Housing and Lands and Natural Resources for implementation.

But opposing the decision by Parliament, spokesperson for the Agbo Mantey and Agbo Commey families, George Kofi Ameyaw, revealed to Joy News that they are displeased with the Committee's report labeling it as “deficient” and that they [chiefs] will take legal action against the directive.

“We are absolutely dissatisfied with the report and we will go back to the first option”, he said.

“We are still going back to court,” he reiterated.

He insisted that the place where the demolition took place did not belong to the TDC.