Tema: Ms Ebi Bright, the Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), has expressed concern over the deteriorating condition of Tema, a major harbour and industrial city in Ghana.
According to Ghana News Agency, Ms Bright highlighted the issue during her first sessional address at the Tema Metropolitan Assembly's (TMA) First Ordinary Meeting of the Second Session of the Ninth Assembly. The meeting was themed 'Resetting and Restoring the Pride of Tema, Building a 24-hour Sustainable City at the Centre of the World.' She lamented the loss of community spaces and the replacement of cinemas with makeshift structures, such as kiosks and containers, altering the city's landscape.
Ms Bright emphasized that the unplanned development has tarnished the once-beautiful city's facade. She noted with concern that such development was occurring on TMA premises. She questioned the assembly's ability to maintain governance and guidance if it could not manage its own properties. Ms Bright called for a renewed effort to write a different chapter for Tema by addressing the issues of decay overshadowing the city's past greatness.
The MCE underscored that Tema was Ghana's only planned township, but recent tours have shown significant neglect of the planning scheme. This neglect has led to unauthorized developments, including temporary structures placed haphazardly. Ms Bright pointed out that these challenges not only affect governance but also pose reputational risks to the Assembly's enforcement credibility.
To address these issues, Ms Bright, as the Chair of the Spatial Planning Committee, has mandated an immediate halt to the issuance of permits for new temporary structures within the metropolis. This moratorium is part of a comprehensive audit to restore regulatory control and sanitize existing records.
Ms Bright further directed the Works and Physical Planning departments to compile a detailed database of all temporary structures, including the permit holder's information and the structure's specifics. She emphasized that non-compliance with this directive would not be tolerated and stressed the importance of restoring discipline, transparency, and accountability in the permitting process.
She concluded by stating that the assembly could not afford to operate in administrative darkness while public spaces risk disorder. Ms Bright urged that Tema must maintain its planned nature and be repositioned as a Resilient Model City, reflecting effective urban governance.
