President John Dramani Mahama has summoned the Metropolitan Chief Executive of Tema, Ebi Bright, and the Managing Director of TDC Ghana Limited, Courage Makafui Nunekpeku, for a meeting over a growing dispute between the two state institutions.
The meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 17, 2026, and 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 comes after a public confrontation between the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) and TDC over a development project at Community 1, Site 3.
The disagreement escalated on Wednesday, August 12, when the TMA, led by Ebi Bright, moved to halt construction works being undertaken by TDC Ghana Limited at the site.
The project involves the construction of shops and office spaces and is being executed by TDC on behalf of the government.
The TMA says the development was being undertaken without the necessary planning and development permits.
The Assembly has also cited concerns raised by residents, including the alleged felling of about 50 trees, the demolition of existing structures, the appropriation of playgrounds and green spaces, and obstruction of access routes.
TMA subsequently took enforcement action at the site, demolishing portions of the development and halting further work.
TDC Managing Director Courage Nunekpeku has challenged the Assembly’s position.
He described the demolition as unfortunate and argued that TDC had historically operated under an arrangement with assemblies within its area of operation that allowed it to undertake developments without obtaining building permits from the assemblies.
According to Mr Nunekpeku, the current project had also gone through government procurement and approval processes involving the Ministry of Finance, the Public Procurement Authority and the Ministry of Works and Housing.
He said TDC received a letter from the TMA on August 7 requesting that it stop work or respond to concerns raised by the Assembly.
TDC responded on August 10, explaining what it described as the longstanding institutional relationship between the two entities.
However, the Assembly proceeded to the site on August 12 and demolished portions of the contractor’s work and hoardings.
The Tema Mayor, however, insists that the TMA has the statutory mandate to regulate physical development within the metropolis.
She has argued that TDC, despite being a state-owned development company, does not have planning or regulatory authority and must obtain the necessary approval from the Assembly before undertaking physical development.
She has cited the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936), and the Land Use and Spatial Planning Act, 2016 (Act 925), in support of the Assembly’s position.
According to her, the dispute is rooted in a broader question over TDC’s role and whether historical arrangements can override current planning laws.
She has also maintained that state ownership does not exempt an institution from complying with the law.
The latest development means the disagreement, which began as an institutional dispute over a construction project, has now reached the Presidency.
President Mahama’s decision to bring the key actors together is expected to provide an opportunity for the competing claims to be addressed and for a resolution to be found between the two state institutions.
The meeting will also involve the two ministers whose portfolios are directly connected to the dispute, potentially allowing government to address both the planning and development questions and the broader implications for state-sponsored projects in Tema.
The dispute has already attracted calls for dialogue, with the Tema Traditional Council urging the parties to exercise restraint and resolve their differences within the law.
The outcome of Monday’s meeting could therefore determine whether work resumes on the disputed project and, more broadly, clarify the relationship between TDC and the Tema Metropolitan Assembly over development and planning within the metropolis.
