Assembly Members of Ashaiman threatens to hit streets against sale of free zone lands

Assembly members of the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly (ASHMA) have threatened to mobilize residents to stage a massive demonstration if President Nana Akufo-Addo fails to stop Octogloh Ghana Limited, a company developing community 21 free zones land into estate housing by Monday.

According to them, the over 125 acres of land is the only one available to the people of Ashaiman, to be released to the government for its flagship industrialization programme 1- District -1 Factory and other developmental projects.

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Government of Ghana by executive instrument acquired the land in 1952 for Tema Development Corporation (TDC) to develop it into housing units for government workers, but was later declared as free zone exclave for industrial purposes.

Per the terms of the acquisition government was required to cede the land to the custodial owners if it's no longer going to use the land for the original purpose.

However, the former Minister for Trade and Industry Dr. Ekow Spio Garbrah and Executive Secretary of Ghana Free Zones Board Kojo Twum secretly sold the land to Octogloh Ghana Limited at $13million in October 2016, some two month to the Parliamentary and Presidential elections.

Addressing a press conference today after visiting the site, the presiding member of the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly Hon. Braimah Abdulai warned that if by Monday they do not see any action from the President they will mobilize residents from all the electoral areas to hit the streets.”

Hon. Braimah Abdulai who accused the officials of the previous government indicated that their checks indicate that the developer is now selling a plot of land for $55,000.

“They are now selling a plot of land for $55,000. We should ask ourselves how many people in Ashaiman will be able to afford such an amount,” he said.

“What benefits are the people of Ashaiman going to derive from this development,” he quizzed.

He explained that the land is so dear to the heart of the people of Ashaiman and will therefore do everything possible to stop the developer.

Hon. Abdulai called on President Nana Akufo-Addo to set up a committee to investigate the transactions and sanction those who are behind the sale of the land.

“We want government should investigate the issue to establish who sold the land, which people issued the permit and which accounts was the proceeds of land put into,” he stated.

Story By: Michael Creg Afful

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