Debris of the structure after the demolishing exercise
The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) is facing claims for compensation of GH?23,000 from a private developer, Gilbert Ntiamoah Polos, who has accused the city authority of illegally pulling down his temporal structure in a demolishing exercise.
The President of Machomen for Good and Justice, who claimed to have paid nearly GH?3,000 as a fee to secure permit from the KMA for the construction of a urinal project, has also called on the Ashanti Regional Police Command to bring the assembly to order.
He told journalists at a news conference that he acquired a piece of land at the Duase/Kynyasi-Abriem lorry station – around the airport roundabout area – for the construction of cubicles to serve as public urinal for travelers.
According to him, on March 14, 2016, he applied for a temporal structure permit to begin the construction of the project and accordingly paid the prescribed fee of GH?3,000 to the Manhyia Sub-Metro Council office of KMA.
Mr. Ntiamoah said the KMA Sub-Metro office gave him the green light to begin the construction of the cubicles.
Whilst construction of the temporal structure was underway, he narrated that he received a phone call from one Mr. Mawuli Coffie, said to be the Manhyia Sub-Metro engineer, that the city authority had penciled his on-going project for demolishing.
He indicated that before he could take a step, the KMA taskforce, led by the Manhyia Sub-Metro engineer, had arrived at the site and pulled down the structure without any formal notice.
Mr. Ntimoah said he had spent a total of GH?20,000 in addition to the GH?3,000 he paid as fee for permit when the KMA demolished the structure, and therefore wanted his money back.
KMA Response
However, the KMA dismissed Mr. Ntiamoah’s claims and demand for compensation, insisting that the project was constructed unlawfully.
Godwin Kumah Nyame, Public Relations Officer of KMA, told DAILY GUIDE that Mr. Ntiamoah did not have the permission of the assembly before constructing the structure at the said venue.
According to him, he was not privy to any payment of GH?3,000 as permit fee by the private developer, and that the man’s claims were fictitious without substance.
“Let him show to the world his permit he claimed to have been issued to him by the assembly. The Metro engineer had said he had no such record of Mr. Ntiamoah,” he posited.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi