A piece of land serving as road and playground for children of the residents at the Kpone Affordable Housing in Tema Community 26 that the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) has started removing the pavement blocks for redevelopment
By Francis Kobena Tandoh
Residents of Kpone Affordable Housing, located at Community 26 also known as Kufuor Affordable Housing, are up in arms against the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) over a piece of land serving as a road for the people.
The people are accusing the TDC of making attempts to redevelop a paved area within the premises that is serving as a road and temporary playground for their children in the community.
According to the residents, the developer’s move to go ahead with the exercise will make life unbearable for them after they spent huge sums of money to acquire the property.
A section of the paved area at the Kpone Affordable Housing at Tema Community 26 that the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) started removing for construction
A resident, who preferred to speak anonymously, told Ghana Eye Report that she and her husband acquired the property from the TDC at a cost of 28,000 United States dollars, with the developer promising to construct a fire service and police stations, a market area, and a playground for their kids.
According to her, after living there for close to a year, the TDC have reneged on their promise, and attempts to get them to fulfill what was promised to make life comfortable for the residents have fallen on deaf ears.
Also, the developer is said to have failed to fix damaged pipes as well as ensure regular collection of rubbish at a fee, even though they promised to provide such services to the people.
As if that was not enough, the resident emphasized that the TDC sent some men to the area over the weekend to remove the blocks at the only paved area that serves as a road, car park, and safe playground for the construction of another set of flats in the area, which residents say will make life unbearable.
The paved area within the Kpone Affordable Housing at Tema Community 26 that serves as road and playground for children of the residents
“TDC, even this small space between D9 and D6, you still want to build on it? This little area is the only place where children can play comfortably and the elderly can walk around freely. Are you trying to take away the little freedom we have left? This is not what was promised to us. The moment you build on that land, you will block the airflow. This is a big NO, and we will not accept it,” said the resident.
The residents are calling on the TDC to halt the attempted construction on the piece of land in the area and work to fix all the services they promised to provide, which are contained in the agreement with the houseowners and tenants.
When contacted for their side of the story, Gloria Sakyiama of the public relations department of the TDC said everything the developer does has already been advertised, which the residents were aware of, and that what was going on in the area was not new.
“What is going on at Kpone Affordable Housing is not new, and they have been advertised so the residents are aware,” said Sakyiama.
Damaged pipe at the premises of Kpone Affordable Housing at Tema Community 26 that has not been fixed by the Tema Development Corporation (TDC)
According to her, before the TDC undertakes any development, it goes through rigorous checks and approvals beginning from the ministry, its offices, and other stakeholders before the project is eventually carried out.
She stressed her outfit will not engage in any act without recourse to due diligence and that the TDC will shortchange the residents.
For now, the TDC has given indication it will go ahead with the construction, while the residents have also sworn to stop the developer from going ahead with its planned project. Enditem
Source: Ghana Eye Report
