TEMA, Ghana, 15th August: The Secretary General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), Abraham Koomson, has welcomed President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to summon the Metropolitan Chief Executive of Tema, Ebi Bright, and the Managing Director of TDC Ghana Limited, Courage Makafui Nunekpeku, to resolve a growing dispute between the two state institutions.
According to Mr. Koomson, the disagreement between the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) and TDC Ghana Limited points to a lack of coordination between the two institutions, a situation he described as worrying and potentially damaging to the government.
Speaking on Ahotor FM’s Yepe Ahunu programme on Saturday, August 15, 2026, Mr. Koomson said it was unacceptable for the TMA to issue development permits only for TDC to subsequently demolish structures covered by such permits.
“There is no mutual understanding between the two institutions. TMA will give a permit and TDC will go and demolish the structure. This is not good.”
He said the two institutions must work together in the interest of the state rather than operate as though they were pursuing separate agendas.
“It appears they are working for themselves or they don’t care about the fortunes of the government. The enormity of the problems they are creating for the government is huge,” he said.
President Mahama has summoned the two officials to a meeting scheduled for Monday, August 17, 2026. The meeting will also be attended by the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs and the Minister for Sanitation, Works and Housing.
A communication from the Presidency indicates that attendance is required by all parties.
The meeting follows a public confrontation between the TMA and TDC over a development project at Community 1, Site 3, in Tema.
The dispute escalated on Wednesday, August 12, when the TMA, led by MCE Ebi Bright, moved to halt construction works being undertaken by TDC Ghana Limited at the site.
The project, involving the construction of shops and office spaces, is being executed by TDC on behalf of the government. The TMA, however, maintains that the development was being undertaken without the requisite planning and development permits.
TDC, in a response issued on August 10, sought to explain what it described as the longstanding institutional relationship between the two entities.
Despite this, the Assembly proceeded to the site on August 12 and demolished portions of the contractor’s work and hoardings.
Reacting to the development, Mr. Koomson criticised the use of bulldozers to demolish structures and called for greater engagement with affected residents before such action is taken.
He suggested that town hall meetings could be organised to educate residents about the reasons a particular structure may be considered inappropriate or unauthorised.
“There could be a town hall meeting to explain to the residents why a particular structure is inappropriate, instead of using a bulldozer to pull down people’s structures, especially in these difficult times. It wasn’t like this in the past,” he said.
Mr. Koomson commended President Mahama for intervening in the matter, stressing that the two institutions must find a lasting solution to their differences and improve coordination.
He warned that continued public disagreements between state institutions could undermine public confidence in the government and potentially have political consequences for the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of the 2028 general elections.
“It is not good for the two state institutions to be behaving the way they are. This could affect the fortunes of the NDC in the 2028 elections,” he cautioned.
He urged the leadership of both institutions to put aside their differences and work together to protect government property, maintain public confidence and advance the development of Tema.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️)/ Presidential Affairs Correspondent | Ghana 🇬🇭