Government has leased a portion of the seven-acre Tamale Aboabo Timber Market land, in the Northern Region, as part of government's Urban Redevelopment Scheme.
Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, who announced this, explained that the purpose of the lease was to utilise the land to contribute to the socio-economic development and facelift of the area.
The minister was answering to a question asked of him by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale North, Mr Alhasan Suhuyini, about the market, on the floor of Parliament, in Accra, yesterday.
"Mr Speaker, as part of the redevelopment scheme, by a lease dated December 15, 2020, but taking effect from August 29, 2020, a portion of the land, measuring approximately 1.38 acres has been granted to Fatuh-Kareeban Company, for commercial purposes only, for the benefit of the people of Tamale and its environs, Mr Abdulai Jinapor explained.
He said: "to be able to commence with the redevelopment, the lessee must be granted vacant possession to the portion of the land granted. This will require the removal of some structures within the area."
According to the minister, the exercise to clear businesses who have occupied the affected area for decades could not be described as a demolition exercise because the structures are not permanent.
"There are a number of kiosks or containers that may be affected by this (eviction) exercise. The Lands Commission and the lessee will work with those to be affected to ensure the exercise is undertaken smoothly," Mr Jinapor, who is also MP for Damango, emphasized.
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He said it was critical to ensure the efficient use of public lands for the benefit of the people of Tamale in particular and Ghana at large, adding that the plan to redevelop the area started under the late President Jerry Rawlings and continued by all other presidents.
"Similar exercises are being undertaken here in Accra at the Aviation City as well as Kumasi, Cape Coast and Takoradi," Mr Abdulai Jinapor noted, and called for the support of the House.
However, interacting with journalists after the plenary session, Mr Suhuyini said "the planned eviction of businesses that have lived there for more than 40 years as "insensitive."
"Clearly, there is something not right from the narration we getting from the minister," because "if a lease is dated December 15, 2020, how does it take effect in August 2020?
Having plied their trade there for more than a decade, Mr Suhuyini, who is also the Deputy Ranking on the Lands and Forestry Committee of Parliament, said the minister's narrative that there were no permanent structures and with no clear roadmap to relocate and compensate the people was insensitive.
He said: "This is so insensitive because even we agree that government should redevelop that land, the approach is insensitive. Now, we don't even know what to believe. Whether we should believe the regional lands commission which says that the land has not been given out in 2021 or the minister who said the land has been given out since 2020."
