COMMUNITY 21 LANDLORDS PROTEST AGAINST SALE OF LANDS (PAGE 47)

Landlords in Community 21, near Ashaiman, have demonstrated against alleged multiple sale of land in the area by the Tema Development Corporation (TDC).
Placard-bearing demonstrators claimed that in 1982 the TDC allocated the plots on lease to them but the corporation had allegedly re-allocated their lands to some corporate entities.
The land, covering an area of approximately 120 acres, was leased to the landlords in 1982 for use as farm lands.
According to the protesters, they paid GH¢42 (¢420,000) in 1982 for the parcels of land.
Some of the placards read "TDC you have no plots here, Stop selling peoples plots, TDC Na Chop Tema land and We no go sit down , government step in ", among others.
Explaining the rationale for the protest, Mr Ali Ayornu Sikatse, a landlord and protester, said TDC had the mandate to lease lands to prospective applicants.
In 1982, he said, those on the land in Community 21 applied and were granted the entry permits and other necessary documents to cover the transaction after they had paid GH¢42.
He said they had since then paid ground rents and honoured their obligations as landlords to the TDC.
Mr Sikatse said suddenly TDC sent letters to individual landlords in 2001 to quit the land which they had duly purchased and had taken care of all these years.
He stated that on receiving the letters they protested and went to meet with the management of the TDC.
Mr Sikatse said it was then that they learnt that the TDC had sold the land to three foreign companies, which later demanded the refund of their monies from the corporation when they got to know that the land was owned by other people.
He said last Monday, July 13, 2009 they spotted some alleged encroachers, a bulldozer and another earth moving equipment on the site clearing the area .
Mr Sikatse said on finding out their mission they were told that the land had been sold to Home Finance Company (HFC), and therefore they were preparing the land for a project.
He alleged that the TDC claimed that the original landlords were not financially sound and capable of transforming the area into an appropriately developed area.
Mr Sikatse said the landlords had submitted a petition to the Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing to intevene and save them from losing their hard earned property .
He appealed to the minister to immediately consider their petition as ordinary citizens of the nation who also deserved to be treated fairly .
He said they were also ready to go to court for the case to be determined, and therefore would welcome an amicable settlement.
Meanwhile the TDC has denied engaging in multiple sale of land.
The Public Relations Officer of the TDC, Mr Samuel Abeka, explained that the land at Community 21 was reserved to be given as a freezone area but the proposal could not go through.
Mr Abeka said the area had now become a buffer zone, noting that the plot allocated to the HFC was not supposed to be part of the farmland.
He suggested to the protesters to seek audience with the TDC’s management for a solution to the problem .