The Managing Director of TDC Ghana Limited, Mr Courage Makafui Nunekpeku, has appealed to the Nungua Traditional Council to support efforts to curb encroachment on the Tema Acquisition Area and the Sakumono Ramsar Site to safeguard lives, property and the environment.
He said encroachment on state lands and the internationally protected wetland had become one of the company’s biggest challenges, leading to land disputes, litigation and environmental degradation.
Mr Nunekpeku made the appeal when a high-powered delegation from the Nungua Traditional Council paid a visit to TDC Ghana Limited in Tema.
During the visit, the company presented a cash donation and assorted items to support this year’s Homowo Festival.
The items included bags of rice, sugar, assorted drinks, bottled water and a brand new 16-seater Proton bus, accompanied by a four-year monthly fuel support package to run the vehicle.
The gesture, he said, was aimed at strengthening the long-standing relationship between the two institutions.
Mr Nunekpeku described the traditional authorities as key partners in development, recalling that one of his first official engagements after assuming office was to pay a courtesy call on the Nungua Mantse to seek his blessings and reaffirm the company’s commitment to close collaboration with the Council.
He explained that although portions of the 63-square-mile Tema Acquisition Area had been allocated to the traditional authorities over the years, some individuals had recently encroached on lands outside the approved allocations, resulting in numerous disputes.
According to him, some encroachers presented documents purported to have been issued by traditional authorities to justify their activities, a situation he said made enforcement difficult and created unnecessary tension between TDC and affected communities.
Mr Nunekpeku also expressed concern about the increasing sale and development of portions of the Sakumono Ramsar Site.
He stressed that the protected wetland played a critical role in flood control and must not be alienated.
He disclosed that TDC would soon embark on a major reclamation exercise to restore parts of the wetland and waterways to improve drainage and reduce flooding, warning that illegal structures within the area would be removed.
“We need your support and blessings to undertake this exercise peacefully because it is intended to save lives and protect property,” he appealed.
Responding on behalf of the Nungua Traditional Council, the Nungua Oblantai Mantse and Kyidomhene, Nii Okple Dzalesane, acknowledged the growing encroachment on the acquisition lands and pledged the Council’s support to address the problem.
He said many of the land documents cited by encroachers as having been issued by the Nungua Traditional Council or the Gborbu Wulomo were fictitious and should be referred to the Council for authentication.
Nii Dzalesane expressed the Council’s full support for the protection of the Sakumono Ramsar Site, describing it as an important environmental asset that benefited both Ghana and the international community.
He, however, appealed to TDC and other state institutions to engage the Traditional Council ahead of demolition exercises to enable it to sensitise affected persons and support peaceful enforcement.
Mr Nunekpeku said the donation underscored TDC’s commitment to maintaining cordial relations with the Traditional Council, stressing that both institutions remained partners in development and would continue to collaborate to promote peace and sustainable development within the Tema Acquisition Area.
FROM KEN AFEDZI, TEMA
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