According to the Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Yohanne Armah Ashitey, the exercise formed part of the ‘Let Tema Shine Again’ agenda aimed at decongesting Tema and also ensure that residents fulfil the necessary requirements in finding places of residence and businesses with strict adherence to relevant laws. 

Mr Ashitey said this on Tuesday when he, in the company of a team of police personnel, metropolitan task force and the engineering department toured parts of the metropolis to announce a final warning to the people.

The assembly gave a two-week ultimatum to residents who had erected or were erecting structures at unauthorised places to either seek the necessary approvals from the assembly or vacate such places or risk demolition.  

According to MrAshitey, the assembly had issued the initial caution in the last two months to enable them prepare for alternative places. 

He explained that the two months ultimatum elapsed on Monday March 7 but the Assembly decided to add an ample period of two weeks which was a final warning to vacate the places. 

At the first point of call, MrAshitey told market women plying their trade at the Twedaaase School Park in Community One which was temporarily given to them, to help contain the rapid spread of the COVID-19 through social distancing during the peak period of the pandemic, to return to the original market site. 

He explained that trade activities on the school park were impacting negatively on teaching and learning hence the directive. 

At the Tema General Hospital (TGH), squatters and encroachers on the hospital land were also told to vacate the place before the two-week ultimatum elapsed. 

Structures and car garages on the shoulders of the Tema motorway roundabout through to the VALCO roundabout stretch without permits from the assembly were also cautioned of imminent eviction. 

After the four-and-half hour exercise, MrAshitey said the actual demolition exercise would take place at the end of this month.

He said that for the purposes of climate change, taking into consideration the place of Tema as an industrial hub and a harbour city with high carbon emissions, the TMA boss said the assembly would embark on extensive tree planting after the demolition exercise to also beautify the city. 

Works engineer of TMA, Samuel Mankye, stated that about 500 structures had been earmarked for the demolition, if they failed to move before the end of the given period.