Accra Mall, Action, Trassaco Face Demolition

… For Encroaching on Accra-Tema Motorway Reserve

Encroachers of state lands, especially, in Accra, are soon going to come face-to-face with the full rigours of the law, following recommendations by the Lands Commission to government on the level of encroachment of public lands. An ‘Inspection Report of Encroachers on the Accra-Tema Motorway,’ sighted by this paper, identifies 15 structures along the motorway, as having violated the reserve area along the sides of the road.

The reserve was zoned out at the time of construction of the Motorway, to cater for future expansion needs, as well as prevent easy access to the motorway by dwellers along either side of the 30-kilometre road.

The original reserve zone along either side of the Motorway was 400-feet. However, this was reduced to 150 feet by the John Kufuor-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration. This was done, using state institutions such as the Lands Commission, Town & Country Planning Department, and Department of Urban Roads.

It is this 150-feet reserve, which has also been violated, posing an impediment to future expansion of the Motorway, which is also part of the trans-continental highway.

If the 150-feet reserve is to be preserved, then all structures that have encroached upon it ought to be demolished.

The encroachments have now led to a situation where vehicles now drive onto the Motorway from all sides, heightening danger to motorists traveling along the highway.

Among the encroachers named in the report, dated February 24, 2010 are: Game (Accra Mall), which is within 45 feet into the reserve zone; Trassaco, which attracted a public outcry in 2007, following an attempt to construct an access road to join the Motorway when it was housing some foreign dignitaries during the AU conference in Accra, is located 20 feet from the Motorway.

Other structures which are visibly in clear violation of the reserve area are: Action Chapel, 20 feet: MTN Warehouse, 20 feet; Metalic, 35 feet; Edd Gate, 53 feet and Baff Estate Warehouse, 17 feet.

The rest are Grand Oak, 68 feet; O.I.C. Vocational Institute, 18 feet; G.H.A. axle checkpoint, 46 feet; and five others between 20 and 40 feet.

The ‘Report of Encroachers,’ which was written by the Greater Accra Regional Head (Survey and Mapping Division) of the Lands commission, Mr. J. C. Acquaah, was addressed to the Regional Lands officer, Alhaji Abibu Alhassan. Also, a report by the Acting Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission to the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, dated December 2, 2009 advises government on the need to respect the 150-feet reservation.

Sources within the Lands Commission indicate that the reduction of the reserve area from 400 feet to 150 feet was made after some persons and organizations had encroached upon the reserve and therefore their private interest was made to override the larger public interest.

There are fears that beneficiaries of these wrongdoings always find people in government to protect them and therefore not much would be done to correct the wrongs.

Questions have been raised as to why public officials who are paid to protect state lands look the other way, while encroachers have a field day. All the structures of the encroachers could be seen while travelling along the Motorway that it would be inconceivable for those tasked with the responsibility of protecting state lands not to have seen their actions in progress.

The primary function of the Lands commission, as provided under Article 258 of the 1992 Constitution, is to manage, on behalf of government, all public lands which are vested in the president on behalf of, and in trust for the people of Ghana. The Lands Commission is charged also under the constitution, to “formulate and submit to Government recommendations on national policy with respect to land use and capability.

The Commission is additionally, charged to advise the Government, local authorities, and traditional authorities on the policy framework for the development of particular areas of Ghana to ensure that the development of individual pieces of land is coordinated with the relevant development plan for the area concerned.”

After the Lands Commission advises Government, it is for the Minister of Lands, and Natural Resources, with the approval of the president to give directions on the course of action to be followed for the Lands Commission to comply with. Planners are therefore observing whether President John Evans Atta Mills would take the bull by the horn and give a clear policy direction to sanitize the eye-sore along the Motorway and other areas or allow these acts of impunity by encroachers to continue.