Benjamin Xornam Glover
2 minutes read
An irate youth from Tema Manhean in the Greater Accra Region has protested against the alleged sale and redevelopment of the defunct Tema Meridian Hotel site, describing it as an indiscriminate sale of a property with deep cultural and historical significance to the people of Tema.
The youth insisted that the historic site represented the original settlement of the Tema people before their relocation to present-day Tema Manhean.
They argued that the site was not only a commercial asset but an important symbol of Tema’s heritage and identity, which must be preserved for future generations.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Benjamin Mensah Commey said the land had in recent months become the subject of controversy following rumours that it had been sold or leased to a private investor.
He claimed that the traditional authorities in Tema were yet to be formally informed about the identity of the developer and the specific purpose for which the land was being redeveloped.
Acquisition
Mr Commey further alleged that the land was compulsorily acquired by the government many years ago without any compensation to the original owners.
“Government took this land without paying a dime to the people of Tema, and today the same land is being disposed of without proper consultation,” he stated.
Meanwhile, independent checks conducted by the Daily Graphic at TDC Ghana Ltd indicated that the erstwhile Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC) authorised the issuance of a fresh sub-lease on the defunct property and its lands to a developer in 2007.
The developer, the Daily Graphic learnt, legally secured a 50-year lease from the TDC in 2007 to demolish the existing structure and redevelop it into a modern, fit-for-purpose hospitality facility.
The old Meridian Hotel currently stands as an abandoned structure which has become a haven for drug addicts, thieves and an unauthorised parking space for articulated trucks.
Writer’s email: benjamin.glover@graphic.com.gh
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh
