Trassaco Springs’ fence blocking pupils from classrooms is demolished
The government’s timely intervention has brought relief to pupils, teachers, and parents in Adjei-Kojo, Tema West.
A demolition exercise, ordered by President John Dramani Mahama’s administration, has taken down a six-foot fence that blocked access to a school.
For months, students were forced to scale this wall daily to get to class. The fence was built by the management of Trassaco Estate, which is involved in a long-standing land dispute with the Islamic community that owns the school.
According to Chief Sidick Jimah, Acting Chairman of the National Council of Zango Chiefs, the 82-acre plot was purchased in 1981 by the Adamu Osutei Family of Tema from the Tema Development Company (TDC).
The land was originally intended for a university complex but was first used to establish a basic school to build a foundation for future expansion.
“Lift up your head, you can see this very building,” Chief Jimah said. “When he started the project, we told him that the land belonged to the school, but he ignored us. So, yesterday when the joint military and national security operation started, they demolished the building and all the walls blocking access to the school.”
He revealed that the community has lost over 80% of the land to Trassaco and is now fighting with other private developers for the remaining 20%.
Land guard terror
At a press conference, Imam Hassan Kwaku Issah Osutei, the head of the Adamu Osutei Family, said the community had been living in perpetual fear. He claims a group of armed men, allegedly hired by Trassaco as land guards, constantly threaten to burn down their houses.
Imam Osutei said these alleged land guards, wielding guns and stones, threaten to shoot residents if they don’t leave their homes. He also alleges they sometimes storm classrooms to threaten students, warning them to abandon the school or be shot. This has led to a significant drop in enrolment, as many pupils have stopped attending classes for fear of being attacked.
Petitions
The Imam noted that all petitions to the former Works and Housing Minister in the Akufo-Addo government went unanswered. He alleged the minister instead took a house as a gift from Trassaco and abandoned their plea.
He added that in recent months, the land guards have intensified their operations, going from house to house and threatening vulnerable residents, including nursing mothers, with death if they fail to vacate the land.
“We are, therefore, appealing to the President, Education Minister, and the Inspector General of Police to provide us with security or better still neutralise these threats in our schools so we can learn and contribute meaningfully to society,” some students, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated.
They added that many of their friends have stopped schooling because they couldn’t endure the constant threats.