Kpone (G/A), Jan 27, GNA - The people of Kpone on Thursday threatened that they would not vote in December if the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) failed to release their lands to them.

At a joint press conference by the Kpone Traditional Council (KTC) and the Kpone Coalition of Youth Groups at Kpone, the people warned TDC that they would not tolerate any development of the disputed Kpone lands.

Addressing the press conference on behalf of the two groups, Mr Josiah Nuertey, their spokesperson, said it was regrettable that although Mr E.T. Mensah, Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, assured the people of Kpone that not until the impasse between the TDC and the KTC was amicably resolved, all activities on the disputed Kpone lands should cease, TDC was flouting the directive with impunity.

He alleged that TDC had hidden behind legislation to give out large portions of Kpone lands for the construction of warehouses.

He recalled that in 1974, 1998 and 2006, TDC released three tranches of land to the people of Kpone, adding that these releases totaled 729 acres or 1,724 plots, out of about 17,000 acres government acquired from the people.

Mr Nuertey said in spite of the many sacrifices by the people of Kpone by virtually donating their land towards the development of Tema, the town was the only one along the coast that had no Senior High School (SHS).

He said the parcel of land carved out of the meager stool land of Kpone, was woefully inadequate for the SHS project to take off and added that the people would need land to build infrastructure for the newly created Kpone-Katamanso District.