The TDC Development Company Limited (TDC) has developed a roadmap to resolve the impasse with some Ashiaman Assembly Members who claimed that the company was illegally selling some public spaces meant for recreational centres and other key infrastructural facilities.
The TDC therefore in collaboration with Ashiaman Municipal Assembly held a meeting with the Assembly Members, Representatives of the Methodist Church and other development stakeholders involved in the impasse.
According to the parties, the meeting was cordial and the grievances of the Assembly members regarding the need for the Methodist Church allocation to be used as a recreational area for the residents was discussed and a compromise between the Church and Assembly Members and other representatives was reached.
Mr Ian Okwei, TDC Protocol and Administrative Officer told the Ghana News Agency at Tema that the parties had fixed another meeting on Monday June 28th to discuss and resolve all other concerns by the Assembly Members.
“This would be followed by a site meeting on Wednesday June 30th, to demarcate and agree on the layout to make way for all parties to operate in the area amicably,” Okwei stated.
It would be recalled that some Assembly Members of the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly at a news Conference recently alleged that the residential commodification of all acquisition areas by TDC was detrimental to the future development of critical infrastructure as well as local economic development; and would be resisted.
The recent agitation was triggered as a result of some disagreement over a 3.8 acreages of land given to the Star Light International School at Tema Community 22 by the TDC – a 1.26 acreages portion, which has currently been sold to the Methodist Church of Ghana, Christ the King Society.
Further correspondences between the School and TDC, available to the Ghana News Agency, point to the fact that the school had written to the company to acquire the remaining 2.56 acres of plot for institutional purpose, of which the TDC approved; requiring them to pay an amount of GHC1, 144,246.00.
Meanwhile TDC had indicated that as per the layout of the entire area in question, it was schemed in 2000 as part of TDC’s plans to develop Tema Community 22.
Giving a chronological antecedent of how the land was given to the school, he said, it had come to TDC’s attention that the Star Light International School had encroached on portions of that 3.8 acre of land then, and because it was a school, TDC included it in its scheming thus allocating entire 3.8 acre land to them.
He said, after two years, TDC realised that the bill given to the school had not been paid as agreed, so TDC told the owner of the school that there needed to be a re-entry to revise the land given to them.
“As at that time, they also pleaded with us to find a way so they could have flexible terms of payment; and in our correspondence back to them, we indicated that we were taking 1.26 acres of land from the total of 3.8 acres to the Methodist Church,” he explained.
According to him, the land which TDC had apportioned to the school had been further rented to a Methodist Church, which was in the layout of their plan, so the 1.26 acreage was allocated to the Church as agreed.
He added that it was factually incorrect for the Assembly Members to claim that TDC was not releasing lands to the Assembly for its development.
