Leadership of the Ghana Institute of Planners (GIP) paid a working visit to the TDC Development Company Limited in Tema on Tuesday 28th February 2023. The purpose of the meeting was to rekindle the long standing relationship between the Institute and the TDC which had gone cold over the years. The delegation from GIP was led by Pln. Mohammed A. Damba (FGIP), President of the Institute. Other members of the delegation were Pln. Alfred Kwasi Opoku (FGIP), Immediate Past President; Pln. Michael Kofi Mensah (FGIP), Council member; Pln. Kenneth Yaoh Ketor, the Honorary Secretary; Mr. Maxwell Bentil, the Administrator; Mr. Buhari Muhammed, Finance Clerk; and Mr. Benjamin Amoah, Student Liaison Officer.
Present on the part of TDC Development Company Ltd at the meeting were Mr. Samuel Asante, General Manager (Operations); Mr Abdul Al-Mumuni Yakubu, General Manager (Finance and Administration); Mr. Isaac Tetteh, Head of Corporate Planning and Communication; Mr. John Felix Wardy, Head of Human Resource and Administration; Pln. Stella Amoaku- Adu (MGIP), Acting Supervisor of Town Planner; and Pln. Emmanuel Kyame Asare-Donkor, Physical Planner (GIS); and Pln. Anthony Kanyi Foli Adade, Environmental Officer and Public Relation Officer of GIP.
The President gave a brief background of the institute and highlighted the pivotal role of TDC, amongst two other institutions, in the establishment of the Institute in the 1969. The other two institutions were Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and the erstwhile Town and Country Planning Department. He reiterated the close relations that existed between the two institutions, highlighting that one of the past Managing Directors of TDC (Mr Harnsby Odoi) also served as the President of GIP between 1974-1976 and 1984-1986. The discussion of the day centered on the operation of TDC outside the Tema Acquisition Area and beyond, partnership, capacity building, TDC’s Flagship Redevelopment and In-filing programme, key challenges faced in undertaking its mandates and the Institute’s Annual General Meeting (AGM).
Mr. Samuel Asante (General Manager-operations) who led the TDC Management Team acknowledged the role of professional bodies in the success equation of TDC and express their willingness to continue such partnerships to enable them deliver on their expanded mandate which requires them to offer consultancies and build townships in any part of Ghana as well as outside Ghana. He further indicated the role the Institute in the review of theTema Master Plan which among others proposed redevelopment of the Kaizer/Sergico area at community 4 and consolidation of land in certain areas of the metropolis. He added that TDC is also working on the Kpone Affordable Housing Scheme and providing consultancy services per its new mandate to help bridge housing deficit in the country.
Mr. Samuel Asare further indicated that TDC is still dealing with a number of issues aimed at improving livability in the Tema Metropolis and will begin to venture outside it the Tema Acquisition Area when some of these issues are brought under control. Management therefore tasked the Institute through this presupposed partnership to bring up proposals on opportunities that TDC can capitalize on to expand its operations beyond Tema and offshore, whilst dealing with current challenges faced by the company in planning and managing its Acquisition Area.
The two parties agreed to continue dialoguing with the aim of nurturing partnerships in the to systematically deal with some challenging issues of spatial and land use planning within the Tema Acquisition Area, as well as provide support for planning and development of climate resilient and self-sustaining communities through research and training for your staff.
The resolution of mandate related conflicts between TDC and the Local Government Authorities within the Tema Acquisition Area as well as fostering of partnership for delivery of consultancies in line with the expanded mandate of TDC was also highlighted.
Source: GIP SECRETARIAT
