Kumasi, Dec 1, GNA - The Kumasi Metropolitan Site Advisory Committee has ordered the demolition of an illegal structure constructed on a plot of land belonging to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) at Danyame by Jesus Is The Light Ministry.

This followed the refusal by the Church to voluntarily quit the land it had over the years been squatting on in spite of persistent warnings.

The committee draws its membership from the Regional Lands Commission, Town and Country Planning Department and Kumasi Traditional Council and has Mr Kwame Boafo, a private legal practitioner, as chairman.

The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) had twice razed to the ground the illegal structure, but the Church had always come back to erect it.

Mr Abraham Okai-Ayi, Ashanti Regional Estate Officer of the GHS, said, "This time around we will not allow that to happen". He said they were moving in quickly to develop the land into doctors' accommodation.

The GHS would put up a three-bedroom semi-detached four-storey block to house some doctors of the Service and that they had already awarded the project on contract to Messrs Adu-K Construction, Mr Okai-Ayi said.

Mr Okai-Ayi pointed out that the GHS would not compromise any attempt by the Church to disturb the contractors and disrupt the smooth implementation of the project.

A member of the Church, Mr Kofi Kwakye, has described the action to forcibly move them from the land as unlawful. He claimed the land belonged to them but when asked to provide proof of ownership, he said that would be done by the founder of the Church at the appropriate time.

Meanwhile, there was near confusion on Wednesday when the Regional Estate Officer and two armed policemen visited the site to verify claims that some members of the Church were preventing the contractors from dumping sand on the plot.

A woman said to be the founder and leader of the Church traded hot verbal exchanges with the GHS official amid the raining of insults and curses. 01 Dec. 04