TWO DISLODGED people at Promised Land near Adjei-Kojo, sustained various degrees of injury last Tuesday when they were allegedly engaged in a fight with some security personnel supervising the demolition of houses in the area.

The victims were identified as Famous Gamore and Cudjoe Asemsro, both residents whose homes were flattened and were putting up in tents with their families. They were arrested and sent to a camp built by the security personnel – made of the police and military in the area.

Displaced victims were said to have rushed on the security personnel to protect their items when the men in uniform allegedly fired warning shots with live ammunitions to disperse the angry crowd, some of whom have been sleeping in the open after their homes were demolished by the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) recently.

Some of the residents complained of having been assaulted with butts of the guns and others were reported to have been flogged with belts.

The incident purportedly occurred when the residents resisted a bulldozer which was clearing debris of demolished buildings and leveling the land close to one of the tents in the area.

But the police and military men, out of anger, destroyed some of the tents and ordered the operator of the bulldozer to run the vehicle over their items.

When DAILY GUIDE got to the scene, one of the victims was seen being forced out of a camp put up by the security agencies The residents fought using stones to pelt the military and police men besides hurling insults and curses on them.

Some tents and food items donated to the victims by individuals and institutions were also spotted destroyed.

Mr. Emmanuel Gakpotor, a National Security personnel whose house was also demolished, narrated to DAILY GUIDE the two victims attempted to take water donated to them and their personal belongings from the tent close to where the bulldozer was working when the security personnel assaulted them.

Information gathered also by DAILY GUIDE indicates that the security men who had been supervising the demolition of the structures, once again went there to protect TDC workers to level the land and remove debris of the purported illegal structures built on a disputed land.
From Vincent Kubi, Tema
Credit/Source: http://www.dailyguideghana.com/adjei-kojo-refugees-beaten-up/

Title: TDC boss justifies demolition at Adjei Kojo

Dated: 19 February 2014

Managing Director of the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) Joseph Abbey says the Corporation did nothing wrong in demolishing structures on 10 out of its 905 acre-land encroached upon.

He asserted that TDC cannot be accused of not showing human face in the demolition exercise carried out last month at Adjei Kojo, a suburb of Tema, as 4,000 structures on its encroached lands have been spared.

He said only 65 houses were pulled down.

Mr Abbey pointed out that the figure is far from the 500 claimed by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tema West Constituency, Irene Naa Torshie Addo.

The TDC MD made these known on Wednesday, February 19, 2014 when he met Parliament’s Select Committee on Water Resources, Works and Housing to brief members on the reasons behind the demolition, which was widely condemned.

“It sometimes hurt when people say that we haven’t done things with a human face,” Mr Abbey bemoaned.

He said the Corporation is mandated to develop any of its land, which is less than 350 acres, at a point in time.

“The area that we demolished - which we are saying is about 10 acres - is within the 350 and we had to do the demolition in that area,” he stated.

Mr Abbey indicated that occupants of the land were duly informed about the exercise and some even complied by moving out.

He denied reports that the site will be developed into a mall, disclosing that it will be used for a public school and rental flats.

Parliament’s Select Committee was scheduled to visit the site on Tuesday.

This had to be rescheduled on the eleventh hour for security reasons as a brawl broke out between victims of the demolition and a joint team of police and military officers.

Chairman of the Committee David Tetteh Assumeng, who is also MP for Shai Osudoku Constituency, hinted that members will visit the site upon a go-ahead from leadership of the House.

Source: TV3 News|Ghana

Credit/Source: http://tv3network.com/Local-News/tdc-boss-justifies-demolition-at-adjei-kojo.html

The Tema Development Corporation (TDC) has rendered an unqualified apology to the Tema West Member of Parliament, Irene Naa Torshie Addo for not giving her prior notice before embarking on the demolishing exercise at Adjei Kojo, a suburb in her constituency.

Over hundred people have been displaced after the TDC accompanied with bulldozers under the supervision of armed police and military men raised down about 150 houses on Tuesday January 21, 2014.

The Tema West MP after fierce opposition has threatened to initiate legal action against the Corporation for rendering her constituents homeless.

The governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) executives in the area are calling for the head of the TDC Managing Director, Joseph Abbey for engaging in acts they deem detrimental to the party’s electoral fortunes.

Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Monday, Public Relations Officer, Dorothy Asare Kuma said they fully accept responsibility for not notifying Naa Torshie before the exercise.
According to her, it was totally an oversight and not a deliberate action as people claimed.
Despite the apology, Dorothy Asare Kuma said it doesn’t take away the fact that the TDC acted legitimately.

“TDC as a public institution will always follow due process. The people developed the land without any permit or land title, that is wrong. How ever you look at it, wrong is wrong”, she stressed.
Dorothy Asare Kuma further explained that the Corporation voluntarily acquired the land from the chiefs and compensated them accordingly, adding that the TDC did not flout any law as it was being potrayed.

Reacting to the NDC’s petition to President Mahama to sack her boss, the TDC PRO said the president is the appointing authority hence, reserves the right to appoint and disappoint.
Meanwhile, Dorothy Asare Kuma disclosed that the demolition exercise has been put on hold until further notice.
Credit/Source: http://www.myjoyonline.com/news/2014/January-27th/tdc-apologizes-to-tema-west-mp-over-adjei-kojo-demolition.php

Read:
http://www.ghana.gov.gh/index.php/2012-02-08-08-32-47/general-news/4810-tdc-denies-demolishing-500-house-at-adjei-kojo
http://graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/17894-2-arrested-at-adjei-kojo-for-obstructing-police.html

Paulina says: Its getting harder and harder to watch Joy News on ABN (Sky 290) -there never seems to be any good news!!!!

I've just had to summon up brute strength and courage to sit through another onslaught of painful happenings in our sweet motherland Ghana, -including water shortages (again) and the worst, if it can get any worse than water shortages -those left at Adjei Kojo after the hideous demolition of their homes!!!

I sit on my lovely sofa in a warm room, and I can't quite get my head around 'my people' sitting baaaaaaajaaaaarrr on the ground -with their homes flattened and all their belongings scattered around...and I feel sick!!!

Children with mothers, the elderly, and men doing the best they can -in the most trying circumstances -seems not to be enough for some!!! Nope, they also face daily harassment from some security personnel and in some cases beatings!!!

I'm angry. I'm sad. When did Ghana become like this?

Where are the Christian members of Ghana's growing costly government? Where are the churches? I wonder.....is there no way powerful humans in Ghana can stand up for these people?

Can they not be given some money to help them start over again --else where if needs be, -because from what I can see the situation is desperate and many have lost everything!!!!

What has been allowed/permitted to take place at Adjei Kojo --which has basically left its residence homeless -----is sinful. Surely its commonsense and human courtesy --if you are going to forcefully remove people and demolish their homes and destroy their belongings -that you offer them not just notice/time, but some alternatives, some money etc etc, the people of Ghana are human-beings with rights, they are not animals!!!
How can folk in authority just sit by and watch? I know some have been seen on TV allegedly debating this tragedy -but lets keep it real......we all know damn well that they intend to do NOTHING for these people --and its sinful!!!!

I can't believe Ghana is slowly turning into what many of us believe to be true of other African countries, --uncaring and cheap, ---and that LIFE in Ghana now means NOTHING... Nobody cares -and that's scary!!!

It makes me wonder who/whom does the ordinary man turn to in times of trouble --like this!!!!!

It seems Ghanaians have no one!!! There isn't a member of Ghana's government, head of church, chief or whatever that is willing to fight for these people and its not just sad, -but very telling of the true state of the nation of Ghana -right now!!!!

Like you all, I have prayed and prayed -I am beside myself, and would like to be a better person, and know it sounds awful, ---but I'm soooo glad that there is a HELL... -And all those who intentionally cause terrible suffering to others, when they can do things differently, -find themselves there --but in the mean time, I feel helpless!!!

May God deliver us (from evil) and Bless us all sooo that we can make a difference in the lives of our people back home (tears)!!!! I, like everybody else, want and love progress, but it must not come at the cost of human lives.... We must fear God and his creation, we must respect our brothers.....period.

In the mean time............how will I be able to get the images of all those children who are no longer able to go to school, all those mothers who are doing their best to keep things together and that man, that speech, the desperation---soooo sad, ----how will I get them (all) -out of my head????