Borteyman residents petition TDC over land eviction

A group of people at the Borteyman-Community 23 junction in the Tema West Municipality have petitioned the Tema Development Corporation (TDC Company Limited) over their eviction from a piece of land they have occupied for over two decades.

The group, numbering about 20 individuals, claimed they have been conducting business on the land for more than 20 years. In February 2023, they wrote to TDC to request a formal license to operate on the land legally.

However, TDC declined their request, explaining that the land in question lies within a designated high-tension reservation zone, making it unsuitable for any form of development. The Corporation instead directed the group to the Tema West Municipal Assembly to obtain business operating permits.

According to the group, they complied with TDC’s directive and acquired the necessary business permits. Armed with this, they said they proceeded to invest heavily in preparing the land for business operations, including the filling of the swampy area.

At a press conference on Tuesday, the group’s leader, Isaiah Tetteh Awayitey, stated that they had to fill the wetland with approximately 3,500 tipper truckloads of laterite, an investment they estimated at around GH¢500,000. This was necessary, he explained, to make the land usable for their operations, which include the sale of blocks and construction materials.

Mr. Awayitey lamented that shortly after their substantial investment, TDC reappeared, ordering their eviction. The group believed the land may have been sold to a private developer, leading to the sudden move to remove them.

In response, TDC Ghana Ltd. refuted the legitimacy of the group’s occupation and accused them of making false ownership claims, describing the individuals as “illegal developers” unlawfully encroaching on public lands.

“It is most unfortunate that they seek to justify their actions by citing business permits allegedly obtained from the Tema West Municipal Assembly,” TDC said in a statement, reiterating that such permits do not equate to land ownership rights.

TDC clarified that the land forms part of the Tema Acquisition Area—a legally designated zone where land allocations are solely vested in TDC Ghana Ltd, emphasising that any claims of ownership or use outside this legal framework were invalid.

The Corporation further revealed that on Friday, August 15, 2025, it carried out an enforcement exercise to remove unauthorized containers placed on land already legally allocated to individuals who followed the correct application process.

TDC also cited the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036), specifically Section 236 (1) and (2), to support its position. According to the Act, anyone unlawfully occupying public land does not acquire any legal interest or right over it, and no one can gain ownership of public land through adverse possession or prescription.

The Corporation reminded the public that there are clear and legal procedures in place for acquiring land within the Tema Acquisition Area, urging prospective developers to contact TDC directly, submit the necessary applications, and make lawful commitments if land is available.

"TDC Ghana Ltd. reaffirmed its dedication to protecting lands under its legal mandate and pledged to take all necessary steps, within the bounds of the law, to safeguard public interest against unlawful encroachments," TDC stated.