According to a story published by Graphiconline, the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) has begun a decisive crackdown on unauthorised structures across the city, citing safety, accessibility and public interest as the key motivations behind the exercise.
Led by the Metropolitan Chief Executive, Ebi Bright, the operation, which coincided with the National Sanitation Day on October 4, 2025 targeted makeshift structures around schools, health facilities, security installations and utility service corridors.
Ms. Bright explained that the exercise is grounded in the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936), the Land Use and Spatial Planning Act, 2016 (Act 925) and relevant TMA by-laws. The clean-up saw the demolition of illegal structures and restrictions on trading and transport operations until midday.
She reassured affected traders that a transparent regularisation programme would soon be introduced to balance economic livelihoods with orderly development. “Tema must grow in an organised and orderly way,” the MCE stressed, urging residents to support the effort and refrain from erecting new unauthorised structures.
This initiative by the TMA is commendable and long overdue. For years, Tema, once a model industrial hub has struggled with the chaotic sprawl of unregulated structures, poor sanitation, and deteriorating public spaces. The Assembly’s renewed focus on urban discipline, environmental cleanliness, and enforcement of planning laws is a necessary step toward reclaiming the city’s lost glory. However, while the intent is laudable, the bigger question remains: will this exercise be sustained, or will it fade away like countless others before it?
Recent history offers cause for concern. The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) embarked on a similar decongestion exercise earlier this year, clearing hawkers and traders from the pavements, bus stops and market surroundings. For a brief period, the city looked cleaner, pavements were walkable and traffic flowed more freely. Yet, within weeks, traders had returned to the very same spots, selling on pavements and blocking access roads once again. The effort, once hailed as bold, has since collapsed under the weight of weak enforcement and public apathy.
This pattern of short-lived enforcement has become a national embarrassment. We cannot continue to launch high-profile clean-up campaigns and demolition drives only to relax the very laws we claim to uphold. It does not portray seriousness as a country when institutions initiate laudable policies but fail to sustain them. The cycle of “launch today, forget tomorrow” must end if Ghana is to achieve true urban discipline.
The TMA must, therefore, learn from the AMA’s missteps. It is not enough to demolish unauthorised structures; there must be a consistent monitoring mechanism, community education, and sustained enforcement.
The Assembly should work closely with local leaders, traders’ associations, and transport unions to ensure that those displaced are properly relocated, not left to return out of desperation. Moreover, regular public updates on enforcement actions will enhance accountability and maintain public trust in the process.
Beyond enforcement, citizens must also take responsibility. A clean and orderly city cannot be achieved through government action alone. Residents must support the Assembly by keeping their surroundings clean, avoiding the erection of unauthorised structures and respecting designated trading and transport zones. Civic discipline, not just law enforcement, is what will ensure lasting transformation.
Tema’s new direction under Ms. Bright offers a fresh opportunity to restore sanity and order to one of Ghana’s most strategically important cities. The MCE’s assurance that the exercise is not about punishment but fairness, planning and dignity is the right tone. But that tone must be matched with action.
If this exercise ends up being another photo opportunity without sustained results, Tema will remain trapped in the same cycle of disorder that has plagued so many Ghanaian cities. But if it is followed through with integrity and persistence, it could mark the beginning of genuine urban renewal.
For once, let’s prove that we mean business.
