Traders operating under the Peaceful Settlers Association in Ashaiman vowed on Thursday to resist any eviction from a disputed parcel of land, insisting they hold valid title documents and that a pending Appeals Court case must first be resolved before any demolition can lawfully proceed.
Speaking on the Big Bulletin on Asaase Radio, association spokesperson Jeffery Eli said the group would not vacate its shops despite an ultimatum issued by the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly. He said the association’s ownership of the land is backed by documentation from the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) and other relevant state authorities, and that relocation would only follow a direct court order. “The assembly does not have any order from any court to demolish our buildings,” he said.
Eli accused the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) of attempting to claim the land without legal backing, and said the matter had been contested in court for an extended period. He argued that the existence of active legal proceedings made any demolition exercise improper.
The association further accused Ashaiman Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) Freeman Tsekpo of backing the demolition despite having been shown their documentation. Eli claimed the MCE had previously approved the association’s building plans before threatening demolition if an out-of-court settlement was not reached. He also alleged that portions of the land had already been cleared, displacing some members from their shops, and suggested the cleared space could be intended for a private developer. These claims were not independently verified at the time of broadcast. The MCE had not publicly responded to the latest allegations as of Thursday. Tsekpo previously described the assembly’s earlier operations on the land as a decongestion exercise rather than a demolition, and denied any intention to act unlawfully against property under active litigation.
Ashaiman Member of Parliament Ernest Norgbey, also speaking on the same programme, described the situation as worrying and urged authorities to proceed with caution. He noted that the land dispute between the Peaceful Settlers Association and the GPRTU was a long-running constituency issue with multiple parties claiming ownership. The MP disclosed that he had previously stepped in to halt demolition attempts by the assembly to allow time for proper document verification. “There were times I had to intervene to stop the assembly so that it could engage and look at the documents,” he said.
The threatened demolition puts the livelihoods of multiple traders at immediate risk. Background reporting confirms the association has occupied the 2.3-acre plot for more than two decades, with TDC records supporting their ownership claim. Court injunctions have been secured during the dispute, though the association says enforcement has remained inconsistent.
The Ashaiman Municipal Assembly had not issued a comprehensive public response to the renewed allegations at the time of publication.
