TDC Managing Director Courage Makafui Nunekpeku
The Tema Development Company (TDC), Limited has uncovered an alleged illegal sale of public land in Tema Community 5, accusing the Tema Central Constituency Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), a former personal assistant to a past TDC Managing Director of selling the property to his wife for GHS 2,000.
According to TDC, the parcel of land, located behind Tema Secondary School, was originally designated for the construction of a public toilet facility.
Speaking at a press briefing in Accra, TDC Managing Director Courage Makafui Nunekpeku said Ian Okwei’s contract was terminated following an internal investigation, and that the land has since been reclaimed for public 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 stated.
The revelation comes amid TDC’s broader campaign to recover lands allegedly acquired illegally as part of its mandate to support infrastructure and housing development.
Meanwhile, on allegations raised by the Peaceful Settlers’ Association against the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly—claiming attempts to seize lands under a court injunction—Mr. Nunekpeku stressed that TDC is engaging stakeholders to find a peaceful resolution.
NPP Secretary rejects TDC claim
Meanwhile, the Tema Central Constituency Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Ian Okwei, has strongly rejected allegations by the Tema Development Company (TDC) that he illegally facilitated the sale of public land to his wife for GHS2,000.
The accusation, made by TDC’s Managing Director, Courage Makafui Nunekpeku, alleged that the land—originally designated for a public toilet facility in Tema Community 5—was allegedly sold to Okwei’s wife while he worked with the company. Mr. Nunekpeku disclosed that an internal probe led to the termination of Oquaye’s contract and the subsequent retrieval of the land for state use.
But reacting on Citi FM’s Eyewitness News, Ian Okwei dismissed the claims as “false and unfair.”
“I am a protocol officer, not a manager. I am not responsible for land allocation,” he said, clarifying that his role at TDC only covered events, meetings, institutional relations, and facility tours for VIPs.
According to Oquaye, his wife acquired the land legally through TDC’s processes, guided by her brother, a former TDC staff member. He explained that her application was approved by Mr. Asare Darko, a former Estate Manager at TDC, and that she subsequently paid the appropriate fees.
He added that the land was not valued at GHS 2,000, as alleged, but rather GHS 4,600, and that his wife had already secured an Environmental Town Planning (ETA) permit for the 28-by-30-foot plot 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,” Okwei stressed.
The matter has reignited debate around land allocation and accountability at TDC, which is currently pursuing a broader agenda to recover illegally acquired lands in Tema for infrastructure and housing development.