By:: tntnewspapergh.com

An investigation carried out by “The New Trust” newspaper into the claims by the Ashanti Regional Divisional Union of Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) against the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Crystal Rose Hotel, Mrs Rose Hamilton, has been exposed.

Reliable sources at the Ashanti Regional Lands Commission and the Ashanti Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) Estate Department have disputed the attempt by the GWCL workers to blackmail Mrs. Rose Hamilton, one of the private developers of the government’s redevelopment policy scheme which started in 1991 by former President Jerry John Rawlings, and it has been continued by successive governments.

The front view of the new bungalows allocated to the affected Regional Managers of state institutions but GWCL managers have rejected theirs

Our sources at both the Ashanti Regional Co-ordinating Council Estate Department and the Regional Lands Commission indicate that GWCL doesn’t even have land title to the lands in question.

Besides that, a letter sighted by the media and dated May 18, 2022 indicated that the pursuant to the issuance of “Executive Instrument 432 of 2021 by Government in respect of Redevelopment of Sector 18 of Kumasi, which was published in the Ghana Gazette on 31st December 2021.”

The letter, addressed to “All Public Institutions – Ashanti Region”, was signed by the then Chief Director of the Ashanti Regional Co-ordinating Council, Mrs. Emelia Ayebeng Botchway, on behalf of the Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah.

The said letter stated in part,
“All Heads of Public Institutions are to take note of the change of status of the land at Ridge Residential Area in Kumasi and to refrain from constructing any new building or redevelop any official bungalow or undertake any elaborate maintenance work on the properties within the enclave.”

Our investigation indicates that despite the notification to all affected state agencies and all affected workers with the assurance of relocation of new apartments, GWCL staff have decided to kick against the policy.

Records indicate that, out of 43 new apartments completed, each affected institutions regional managers have been allocated with one apartment.

The Committee in charge of the allocation, just on Tuesday,10th December 2024, handed over keys of three apartments to GWCL managers, but they rejected them for reasons best known to them.

According to our source at the Ashanti Regional Lands Commission, the purpose of the government for the redevelopment started by former President Rawlings was continued by the administrations of Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, Mr. John Mahama and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The policy started in Accra with phase two, and it is currently in phase three. It is aimed at redeveloping colonial government workers’ bungalows which occupied one-acre land in the prime area in the cities to meet the growing population.

The government then entered into Public Private Partnership (PPP) to construct between two and five bedrooms to relocate all affected staffs of the various state agencies.

Two hundred (200) accommodation was expected to be completed within one and a half years to ensure appropriate relocation plan. To this end, all the necessary processes were undertaken including the approval by the Public Procurement Authority, aside from value for money assessment conducted by the Ghana Institute of Surveyors.

The affected institutions include RCC, KATH, BNI, PWD, Judicial Service, Lands Commission, Ghana police Service, GBC, NCCE, DVLA, among other state agencies.

Even though all the regional heads of the various institutions affected have been allocated with new bungalows and given the keys to their respective apartments, only GWCL managers have rejected the relocated bungalow opposite the Ashanti Regional EC office.

Meanwhile, Mr. Emmanuel Okpoki Kodiah, the Vice-Chairman of the Union, when asked to confirm or deny whether their staff have been allocated with new apartments and whether GWCL has land title to lands in question, he couldn’t deny or confirm it that their managers have not told them that, hence their protest in defence of their managers.

Regarding the land title, he said only their national estate department could speak to that but since their managers have occupied the bungalow for many years, now they think it belongs to GWCL.

Mr. Emmanuel Okpoki Kodiah addressing a press conference

Speaking to the media earlier in a press conference on Wednesday, 11th December 2024,
the Vice-Chairman of the Union couldn’t also confirm the allocation of three relocated apartments opposite the Ashanti Regional Office of the Electoral Commission (EC) to their managers and they have rejected them.