The Tema Central Constituency Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Ian Okwei Tabalor, has denied allegations made by the Tema Development Company (TDC) Limited that he illegally sold a public plot of land in Tema Community 5 to his wife for GHS2,000.
This follows remarks made by TDC’s Managing Director, Courage Makafui Nunekpeku, who earlier told the press that the land had been sold to Mr. Okwei’s wife for GHS2,000 despite it being designated for a public toilet facility.
Mr. Nunekpeku indicated that the plot had since been recovered as part of TDC’s ongoing efforts to reclaim illegally acquired lands. He also disclosed that Mr. Okwei’s contract with TDC, where he served as a protocol officer to a former Managing Director, had been terminated following an internal investigation.
Responding to the claims in an interview on Citi Eyewitness News on Thursday September 4, Mr. Okwei clarified that he played no role in the land allocation process and described the accusations as “very unfair.”
According to Mr. Okwei, the land in question, located in Community 5 near Tema Secondary School, was acquired through the proper procedures by his wife, Irene. He explained that it was Irene’s brother, a former TDC worker who informed her about a commercial plot next to his own, which she could apply for.
“She went through the process, applied, and paid the Land Management Fee and Fee Fixing approved by TDC,” Mr. Okwei stated. “I have no hand in them. I am a protocol officer, not a manager. I am not responsible for land allocation.”
He added that the land allocation was handled by Mr. Asare Darko, a former Estate Manager at TDC, who approved the plot and issued a land allocation proposal. According to Mr. Oquaye, his wife subsequently paid the required fees, obtained a site plan, and even secured an Environmental and Technical Assessment (ETA) permit for the 28-by-30-foot plot in the designated commercial enclave.
He insisted the decision was based on false claims and misinformation.
“My work had been to being charge of events, be in charge of meetings, be in charge of governmental relationship or institutional relationship and then sometimes when VIPs are coming into the company I arrange facility tours and those things. So for the Managing Director to accuse me of the one to have sold a portion of the land to my wife I think it is very unfair, very unfair.
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