The Tema Development Company (TDC) Limited says it has uncovered what it describes as an unlawful transfer of public land at Tema Community 5, accusing a former staff member and current New Patriotic Party (NPP) Constituency Secretary of selling the parcel to his wife at a discounted price.

According to TDC, the land in question, located behind Tema Secondary School, had been earmarked for a public toilet facility. At a press briefing in Accra, TDC Managing Director, Courage Makafui Nunekpeku, alleged that the plot was sold for GHS 2,000. He said the company’s internal investigations led to the termination of the staff member’s contract, adding that the land has since been reclaimed for state use.

“The NPP Tema Central Constituency Secretary sold that place to the wife at the cost of GHS 2,000. The documents are with me. When I went into the matter, I said no way, I engaged the woman and terminated the contract. Now the land is back for the state to be used as a public toilet,” Mr. Nunekpeku told journalists.

The revelation forms part of TDC’s broader exercise to recover state lands allegedly acquired through irregular means.

NPP Constituency Secretary Denies Allegations

The Tema Central Constituency Secretary of the NPP, Ian Okwei, has firmly rejected the accusation, describing it as “false and unfair.”

Speaking on Citi FM, Mr. Okwei clarified that he was not in a position at TDC to allocate land.

“I am a protocol officer, not a manager. I am not responsible for land allocation. My job was to handle events, meetings, institutional relations, and facility tours for VIPs,” he explained.

He maintained that his wife went through official TDC procedures to acquire the plot, with the application facilitated by her brother, a former TDC staff member. According to him, the approval came from a former Estate Manager, Mr. Asare Darko, and payment was made through the proper channels.

Mr. Okwei also disputed the alleged valuation, insisting that his wife paid GHS 4,600 for the land, not GHS 2,000. He added that she had already secured an Environmental Town Planning (ETA) permit for the 28-by-30-foot parcel, located within the Community 5 commercial enclave.

“For the Managing Director to accuse me of selling the land to my wife, I think it is very unfair — very unfair,” he emphasized.