TMA to pull down buildings on waterways as rains set in

Buildings and shops built on waterways in the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) will be pulled down to pave way for free flow of flood water, according to the Metropolitan Chief Executive Felix Mensah Nii Annang-La.

Speaking on Onua FM’s morning show ‘Yen Nsem Pa’ the TMA boss minced no words when he said emphatically that nobody will be spared in the exercise. Following the downpour on early hours of Tuesday, some areas in the Tema Metropolis got flooded, rendering residents in some areas either homeless or stranded. Areas like Tema Community 2 and Lashibi Community 18, have been badly affected, forcing residents to abandon their homes.

The Assembly Man for Baatsona electoral area, which housed the Community 18 area, Joseph Boabeng Twumasi told Bright Kwesi Asempa, the host of ‘Yen Nsem Pa’ that the situation at his electoral area is dire, calling on the National Disaster Management (NADMO) to come to the aid of the residents. He said the area is not known to be a flood prone area but attributed the current development to what he described as “lawless manner in which people are putting up buildings on waterways”.

“For two years now I have been in the area and saw that problem but every attempt to stop these developers who say they are ‘bigmen’ proved futile, but we are all witnessing what is happening now.”

However the TMA boss has vowed to remove every unauthorized buildings in the metropolis, beginning with those that are built on waterways, adding that the exercise will be carried out without fear or favor. “We will not allow these indiscriminate developments to continue in my jurisdiction.

As soon as these problems are brought to my attention, we will deal with it” The mayor also noted that a team will be dispatched to identify these structures which are erected on waterways and unauthorized places. “Tema is a well-structured and planned area and we have to maintain that, I will not wait until lives are lost, there must be action now.”