The Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) has convened a stakeholder meeting to discuss various developmental issues confronting the metropolis, and resolved to remove all unauthorized structures and kiosks scattered across the city.
The stakeholders’ engagement, which was participated in by traditional and religious leaders, staff and departmental heads, among others, brought to light issues on the siting of kiosks and sanitation issues.
Madam Ebi Bright, the Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, addressing the stakeholders, appealed to the traditional and religious leaders to educate their followers on the need to enforce some sanity in the metropolis.
Madam Bright added that as part of the beautifying and bringing back the shine of Tema, the assembly had declared the zoning of schools, hospitals, security installations, government premises and environs, and service utility corridors as security zones.
She added that the move meant that no temporary structures (kiosks, containers, etc.) were permitted along the fence walls, buffer areas, corridors, or access routes of these facilities.
She explained that that was part of a comprehensive plan to reorganise temporal structures in the metropolis and beautify such places with plants.
Ms Bright said existing structures in those security zones would be removed immediately, adding that enforcement processes included serving legal notices to offenders, marking structures for demolition and the demolition of the structures.
She advised residents who have erected structures in those zones to remove them, cautioning that failure to do so meant they would be demolished by the TMA and the owners surcharged.
Madam Bright said, “They should remove their structures themselves after receiving notices and warnings from TMA, but if you don’t move them and the TMA does that for you, we will process you and surcharge you, and if needed, prosecution will follow.”
According to her, the actions were in line with the assembly’s mandate to deliver a clean city; therefore, their resolve to enforce the law mandated them to embark on clearing some of the structures before meeting with the stakeholders, as it bothered solely on law instead of opinions.
Touching on sanitation, she disclosed that even though the national sanitation day would be held on November 01, 2025, the Tema Metropolis would conduct a two-day sanitation campaign, which would incorporate the facelift of communities in it.
The MCE explained that on October 31, which would be the first day of the campaign, there would be enforcement of development control, removal of temporary structures within designated security zones, and removal of structures erected in other areas after the July 21, 2025, ban on erection of such structures.
She said on November 01, which would mark day two of the campaign, they would engage in deep cleaning at the Republic school, which is the first public school that held a traditional significance, as it has the last of the original Tema ancestral gourd trees located on its premises.
She stated that there would also be streetlighting repairs and installations, minor infrastructure repairs, public space beautification, and other things.
GNA
