Tema: The Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) has embarked on a demolition exercise around the Tema Republic School in Community Four, to restore sanity and reclaim the school’s land from encroachers.
According to Ghana News Agency, the exercise was spearheaded by Ms. Ebi Bright, the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), as part of the assembly’s broader efforts to protect public institutions within the metropolis from activities that undermine their core purpose. Ms. Bright highlighted that the presence of brothels, ghettos, mechanical shops, pubs, and sheep and goats’ pens, among other operations around the school, had exposed pupils to dangers and disrupted effective teaching and learning activities.
She emphasized that schools, hospitals, and other government installations within the Tema metropolis were considered security zones. These facilities were established to serve specific social and developmental goals; therefore, the TMA could not allow their environments to be compromised by activities that defeat their purpose.
The MCE revealed that the assembly had engaged the encroachers for more than five months in sustained consultations before finally carrying out the exercise. ‘We gave them ample time and opportunities to relocate voluntarily; some have duly cooperated, whereas others have shown blatant and continuous disregard for the assembly’s directives, and that has necessitated this action,’ she said.
Ms. Bright added that trees would be planted around the perimeter of the school to restore its natural boundary, while security and monitoring measures would be intensified to prevent future encroachments. She also called on residents within the Tema Metropolis to participate in the National Sanitation Day, which takes place on the first Saturday of every month, to maintain cleanliness in Tema and its environs.
Ms. Bright reiterated the assembly’s commitment to enforcing development regulations across the metropolis to protect public properties and safeguard the welfare of residents. Officers from the TMA, the Ghana Police Service (GPS), the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) were present to supervise the operation, ensuring order and safety throughout the exercise.