The Chief Engineer of the Tema Development Company Limited, (TDC), Ing. Edward Mensah Samjog, has said the company is ready to pull down four dilapidated blocks at the Kaizer flats this month.
The four flats were declared as a danger zone by authorities from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), in February this year [2018], after a long legal battle with occupants of the facility.
Speaking to Citi News, Mr. Samjog said TDC has awarded the demolition contract to the 48 Engineers Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces.
“Having evicted the people, we will not let the buildings to be there. We have to pull them down. We have contacted 48 Engineers based on their experience on similar works to pull down the structures [4 blocks]. When they are pulled down, we will develop new blocks at those areas,” he said.
He added that TDC will redevelop the areas after the demolishing has taken place, and is expected to put up new flats within 3 months.
“We will begin it any moment from now, we are envisaging that somewhere this month, we will get the contractors on site for the project to start. It will take about 3 months to complete,” he added.
Occupants of the dilapidated Kaizer flats in February 2018 finally moved out of the flats after notices of eviction from the TDC, due to the potential dangers the buildings posed.
The flats had developed deep cracks with iron rods protruding from the concrete and the plastering peeling off.
The four flats, which are blocks 407, 408, 410 and 415, have since 1982 been declared inhabitable, but the occupants had been in court battling the issue out until a definite directive was given by the high court in 2018, directing the occupants to vacate by 31st January for its original owners [TDC] to redevelop them.
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By: Jonas Nyabor/citinewsroom.com/Ghana