Two weeks after the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) had demolished over 100 houses at Adjei Kojo near Tema, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Works and Housing has said the TDC did nothing untoward in the demolition of the houses.
In its statement on the floor of Parliament, the committee said although initially it had been indignant about the exercise, it now held the view that the exercise had been in order after a meeting with the TDC.
The Vice-Chairman of the committee, Mr Francis Adu-Blay Koffie, told the Daily Graphic that the meeting with the TDC had enabled the members of the committee to ascertain the full facts and that the corporation had provided documentary proof of ownership of the land in question.
He added that since the occupants of the Adjei Kojo land had failed to provide any proof of ownership, the committee members were of the view that the TDC had been right in taking the action.
We are, however, surprised that barely two days after the endorsement of the TDC’s action, the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, tasked the same committee and three other MPs to investigate the demolition that has rendered hundreds of people homeless.
So we ask, what is Parliament going to investigate, after publicly announcing that the TDC had not erred in the destruction of property running into millions of cedis?
Is it that the Parliamentary Select Committee on Works and Housing, which represented the august house, rushed into making those pronouncements? Has it landed new evidence that calls for further probing?
The Daily Graphic finds this shifting of the goal post rather disturbing, since we view Parliament as a very important institution which must not act in a manner that will make people find it difficult to attach seriousness to its work.
Parliament has many functions, including the oversight responsibility over the activities of all state institutions, including the TDC.
The social cost of the Adjei Kojo loss is huge, as more that 100 structures were demolished, leaving some 700 families homeless and at the mercy of the weather, which action has since drawn mixed reactions from the public and civil society organisations, who have described the action as inhuman.
With Parliament already endorsing the demolition by the TDC, we hold the view that they have already taken sides and that the outcome of any investigations may be difficult to be seen as fair.
Would we have to believe the results of such investigation as a true reflection of its findings after the committee had earlier declared it was privy to the full facts, hence its thoughts?
Parliament must come again on this and explain the sudden turnaround on the matter. Much as we do not condone wrongdoing, we hold the view that Parliament must have the right systems in place to respond to such matters of public concern only after thorough probing.
