By Laudia Sawer
 
Tema, July 31, GNA – Ms Ebi Bright, the Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), has bemoaned the deteriorating state of Tema, the harbour-cum-industrial city of Ghana.
 
Ms Bright said, “I walked purposefully through our beloved communities last week and noted afresh with shame the open spaces and community parks, which once gave us children room to play and dream. The cinemas in Communities 8 and 1, where families and friends gathered for entertainment, were all replaced by temporary structures—containers, kiosks, shacks, and some structures that defy description.”
 
She said this when delivering her first sessional address at the Tema Metropolitan Assembly’s (TMA) First Ordinary Meeting of the Second Session of the Ninth Assembly, held under the theme “Resetting and Restoring the Pride of Tema, Building a 24-hour Sustainable City at the Centre of the World.”
 
She indicated that this proliferation of unplanned development has destroyed the facade of the once-beautiful city, adding that the more troubling thing was that this unplanned development was happening right on TMA premises and properties.
 
“If we cannot keep our own house in order, how can we expect to govern and guide others to do the right thing? This is the story of too many places in our metropolis—memories of greatness overshadowed by a present and palpable decay. I believe, with every fibre of my being, that we can write a different chapter.”
 
The MCE noted that the City of Tema was the only planned township in Ghana, stressing that her recent tours of the metropolis have revealed a glaring disregard for the planning scheme, resulting in unauthorised developments, especially haphazard
placement of temporary structures such as kiosks, containers, and makeshift trading points.
 
“These issues pose not only a governance challenge but also reputational risks to the Assembly’s enforcement credibility. In the light of these developments and as the Chair of the Spatial Planning Committee, I have directed the immediate suspension of all new temporary structure permit issuance within the metropolis,” she stated.
 
Ms Bright indicated that this moratorium was essential as the assembly commenced a comprehensive audit to sanitise its existing records and re-establish full regulatory control.
 
She added that she has directed that a detailed database be compiled by the Works and Physical Planning departments with details covering the full name and contact details of the permit holder, date of original permit issuance, date of last renewal, exact location of the structure, and the type or size of the structure/container.
 
“Hon. Presiding Member, let me emphasise that non-compliance with this directive will not be tolerated, as I am determined and committed to changing the status quo. It is imperative that we restore discipline, transparency, and accountability to our permitting processes. This directive must be disseminated to all officers involved in the development permit process in Tema.”
 
According to her, the assembly could not afford to operate in administrative darkness while the public spaces in Tema risk disorder, emphasising that Tema must remain as planned and be repositioned as a Resilient Model City, reminiscent of effective urban governance.
GNA
Kenneth Odeng Adade