Traditional leaders of Takoradi Amanful and its adjourning communities have expressed displeasure at the sale of public lands for private use in the area.

They said though the government compulsorily acquired lands for public purposes, they were not being used and instead sold to private developers by the city authorities.

Nana Obo Atta Esuon 11, Chief of Takoradi Amanful, who led the elders to address a press conference in Takoradi, said traditional leaders in the metropolis were in no way happy about the current development.

He said plots of land demarcated for recreation grounds, parks and open spaces, a model tropical town, and a beautiful seaport have all been sold out, and used for private development.

"In many instances, the original owners have been helpless on-lookers, as the land they used to care for and look after with their hearts and souls is never used for the purposes for which it was acquired," he said.

Nana Obo Atta Esuon added that the original layout of Takoradi made provision for recreational grounds and parks, and wondered why such plots of land were now being sold for building projects.

He said with the discovery of oil and gas in the region, it was prudent for the city authorities to consider road expansion on the "Cape Coast Road" to befit the metropolis' current status, rather than sell them to private developers.