Tension escalated on Wednesday, August 12, when the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) allegedly moved to halt and destroy portions of an ongoing government project at Site 3 in Community One, Tema. The action, led by Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) Ebi Bright, followed a directive issued to TDC Ghana Limited to halt construction and produce the requisite statutory permits for the project.
TMA Accuses TDC of Unauthorized Development
The TMA, in a letter dated August 10, 2026, and accompanied by an enforcement notice, accused TDC Ghana Limited of developing the site on an open space designated for public use. The Assembly cited Section 91 of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936), as well as Sections 113, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 160, and 161 of the Land Use and Spatial Planning Act, 2016 (Act 925), together with the TMA By-Laws, 2018, on unauthorized development.
TDC Pushes Back Against TMA's Position
TDC Ghana Limited, in a response dated August 11, pushed back against the Assembly's position, arguing that the TMA's posture was inconsistent with long-standing institutional arrangements between the two entities governing the execution of government projects in the metropolis. The company indicated that it would escalate the matter to the relevant statutory bodies for an amicable "inter-institutional" resolution of the concerns raised by the Assembly.
Project Halted Amidst Turf War
The intervention by the TMA has effectively brought the government project to a standstill. The project, being executed by TDC Ghana Limited on behalf of the government of Ghana at Community One, Site 3, Lots 1 and 2, involves the construction of shops and office spaces. At the time of the Assembly's intervention, the development was still at the setting-out and site-clearing stage.
The latest confrontation has raised fresh questions about the relationship between the two public institutions and whether the dispute could derail the government's development plans for the area. For now, work on the project remains suspended, with uncertainty hanging over when construction will resume and how the permit and land-use concerns raised by the TMA will be resolved.
Source: Joy Online
