OBTAIN BUILDING PERMITS FIRST OR... (PAGE 30)

THE Tema Development Corporation (TDC) has advised potential developers to acquire permits from the corporation before erecting structures in the government’s acquired areas to avoid penalties and demolition.
Developers have also been urged to verify the status of lands they buy from chiefs in the area to ensure that they are within the TDC land area.
The Managing Director of the TDC, Mr Joe Abbey, gave the advice in an interview with the Daily Graphic on the need for the TDC to demolish over 100 illegal structures on its 365-acre land made up of 481 plots at Adjei Kojo.
He said the encroachers had put up some structures on the land after allegedly paying varied amounts to the Chief of Adjei-Kojo.
Mr Abbey said they were met with hostilities from the chief and his supporters during the demolition exercise, and therefore the TDC could not initiate the planned scheme for the area.
The Managing Director said the TDC had earlier prepared the land, provided water, roads and electricity before being chased by the chief and the people.
He said in 2002 , the Adjei-Kojo Chief brought an action against the TDC and some of its officials and went to court to claim the land but unfortunately the Tema High Court and an Appeal Court ruled in favour of TDC in late 2008.
The disputed land was found to be within the 63 square mile area compulsorily acquired by the government under the Tema Town and Port (Acquisition of land) Ordinance number 38 of 1952 and subsequently leased to the TDC.
Mr Abbey said most lands of the TDC had been encroached upon, noting that the coporation would enter those areas to take inventory of the land and ascertain the extent of encroachment.
He stated that with the ruling of the courts, TDC now had a renewed authority to take over the Adjei -Kojo land, which did not include the village.
Mr Abbey explained that the TDC did not include the villages of the acquired areas in its development scheme.
He said the TDC had always developed around the villages and not in them, and, therefore, did not disturb the people.
Mr Abbey cited examples of Santeo, Sakumono, Lashibi and Nmlitsakpo as model villages which had benefited from the development of the TDC.
He said those whose illegal structures were demolished as a result of the dispute would be considered for allocation of land in the area but they would be made to pay for it.
Mr Abbey noted that the Adjei Kojo land would be re-designed and given out to private developers to put up decent houses for orderly development .
He said the TDC still had land for development and also completed houses for sale.
Mr Abbey denounced the public outcry that the TDC had completed its responsibilities as per its establishing instrument.
He said the TDC had a lot of work to do to ensure that the acquired area was fully utilised, adding that the law establishing it did not indicate that the powers vested in the coporation would be changed.
Mr Abbey noted that the public would need to give support to the TDC to enable to do its work as expected to ensure orderly development.
He re-echoed the need for all developers to ensure that they acquired permits from the TDC and also regularised their property with the corporation for peaceful co-existence.