THE EDITOR
THE NEW CRUSADING GUIDE
ACCRA
REJOINDER:
LOCAL GOVT MINISTER PETITIONED …TO INVESTIGATE CORRUPTION AND CRIMINAL ACTS @ GA EAST MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY
We refer to the above publication in your newspaper, The New Crusading Guide, Vol. 16 No. 104, and online portal, dated Tuesday, 16th July, 2024.
We write to dismiss the allegation of “Corruption and Criminal Decision-Making at the Ga East Municipal Assembly” leveled against some officials of the Assembly and the Assembly generally by one businesswoman, Joyce Obenewaa, regarding her application for a development permit to extend her fence-wall.
We wish to state the facts of the matter and refute the claims made as follows:
1. The Secretariat of the Spatial Planning Committee (Physical Planning Department) of the Assembly on 5th June, 2024, received an application from one Mrs. Elizabeth Obeng, to be considered and granted permit for the extension of her existing fence-wall.
2. Her application was consequent to a routine inspection by our Taskforce which identified that she had already started developing without a permit and had encroached on an existing road, prompting the Taskforce to stop them from working and wrote a “Stop Work, Produce Permit” warning notice on the wall.
3. On 19th June, 2024, the Technical Sub-Committee (TSC), pursuant to Section 40(b) of the Land Use and Spatial Planning Act, 2016 (Act 925), visited the site for inspection to enable it make the appropriate recommendation(s) to the Spatial Planning Committee (SPC).
4. The TSC recommended that the developer should maintain the existing fence line as any extension will narrow the road in front of the house.
5. At its meeting on 27th June, 2024, the SPC considered and approved Mrs. Obeng’s Development Application subject to the following conditions which was communicated to her based on the TSC’s recommendations:
i) Maintain the existing fence line
ii) Pay the approved fee
6. Mrs. Obeng’s application was submitted by a certain man (who refused to give his name to the Assembly Officials). This man, upon receipt of the letter from the SPC, communicating its decision on her application, questioned the Secretary of the Committee, Mr. Kwabena Asiedu-Bediako, the rationale for the disapproval of the construction of the fence wall.
7. Mr. Asiedu-Bediako indicated to him that it was the decision of the Committee and that if he was not satisfied, he could write and seek further clarification or review.
8. These are the events that took place until this publication.
The Ga East Municipal Assembly would like the general public to, through your network, note that the Assembly has no record of the businesswoman, Joyce Obenewaa, who has made these unfounded and damning allegations against the Assembly and some Officials and caused same to be published through your media channels.
Documents submitted to the Assembly are in the name of Mrs. Elizabeth Obeng, thus the Assembly has no business with Madam Obenewaa, and she has not reported of any infractions by our Officers mentioned in her claims.
In any case, Madam Obenewaa did not report to the Assembly any specific infractions caused by our Officers.
We seize this opportunity to advise all prospective developers to endeavour to first apply to the Assembly for development permit before embarking on any construction activity as failure to comply would leave us without any option than to carry out our mandate of development control enshrined in the Section 93 of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936) gives the Assembly, which is the Planning Authority in the District (Municipality), the authority to “issue a permit for physical development with conditions or without conditions. Therefore, the Assembly acted in the right manner in issuing the development permit to Mrs. Obeng with conditions.
It must however be noted that any applicant or client who is not satisfied with any decision of or service rendered by the Assembly, not only in the application for development (building) permit, through any of its Departments/Units, Staff or Agents, has the right to appeal and must do so in writing and addressed to the MUNICIPAL CHIEF EXECUTVE.
These are the facts of the matter and we therefore urge you to publish same in your newspaper and online portal in the manner in which you published the allegation.
Thank you.
Signed
NII-AMARH ASHITEY
(MUNICIPAL COORDINATING DIRECTOR)
FOR: THE HON. MUNICIPAL CHIEF EXECUTIVE
