The Suame Municipal Assembly has thrown the laws of the land to the dogs by defying a court order that restrained them from entering a land siting a 30-seater toilet facility currently in public use owned and managed by contractors FREKO FD Enterprise Limited, a private liability company in Kumasi.
Current pictures from the site shows serious construction works ongoing in a clear breach of a contract and legal order.
Before the Suame Metro was elevated to the status of Municipality, FREKO FD already had a contract with the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) to build a public place of convenience and manage it and make its profit for some time before handing over back to the KMA.
The 30-seater toilet facility in question is located at Tarkwa Maakro in Kumasi.
There is a suit in court between Freko Fd Ltd. and the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly over the toilet facilities.
The court has placed a restraining order on the Assembly or anybody or entity from interfering with the property of which copies have been served on the Suame Municipal Assembly after they trespassed and started with their works on the property.
A visit to the facility revealed they have even dug around the facility indiscriminately and without any safety measures or sealing back the holes posing a danger to the public.
From all indications, the Suame Municipal led by the current MCE Hon. Maxwell Ofosu Boakye and his Engineer, one Mr. Appiah are allegedly scheming to bulldoze the facility
This is indeed a clear case of trespassing on a highly restricted property.
Meanwhile, the Suame Municipal Assembly has ignored calls and warnings from the company that their actions have the tendency to lead the assembly to judgment debts.
The Assembly had also constructed another complete toilet facility close to where the company’s facility situated, which is in contravention with the contract between the two legal entities.
Frustrated and distressed, Madam Freda Darko, Managing Director of FREKO FD has vowed to take on the Suame Municipal Assembly for such display of political intimidation and abuse of power.
“I notified the Assembly when I noticed they were constructing another toilet facility close to mine which is in breach of the contract I have with the government and further told them that the matter is in court. But they ignored all that I said and continued with the construction.
The matter later ended up at the police station when the Assembly trespassed by clearing a portion of the site in the name of putting up an Ambulance bay.
It was at the police station where the Assembly’s Engineer stated that they constructed another toilet facility close to mine because it is a project from their internally generated funds (IGF). Of which I responded that, my facility which they know is a 30-seater toilet facility which is enough for the community and there are other places in need of a toilet facility so if that was the case, why didn’t they go and construct it at a community in need of it.”
She added that “Another time from nowhere, the Assembly said they were going to build an Ambulance Bay while it has an Ambulance Bay which is operating and not far from the site.
To make matters worse, they said they are now going to build stores. Why should we be doing this to ourselves and collapsing businesses when the Suame Municipal knows that we have a court injunction?” Madam Freda lamented.
She added: “the Municipal Chief Executive is aware the case is in court, the Assembly’s Engineer also knows very well that the case is in court, so why should they be doing this.”
She revealed that the Municipal Engineer has even stopped her from constructing a retaining wall to protect the toilet facility from rain.
“I told the Municipal Engineer Mr. Appiah that all these are some of issues that lead to judgment debt but he boldly and arrogantly responded that they are ready to pay for whatever judgment debt that would come.”
Madam Freda bemoaned that this clearly portrays an attempt by some powerful unseen political hands manipulating to collapse her business.
“I’m a very hardworking woman who has been able to establish something and instead of supporting me, you are bringing me down,” she lamented.
She further stated “they preach women empowerment and all kinds of rhetorics including seminars of gender equality but behind the scenes, they are bullying women-owned businesses.
I throw this case to Gender Ministry, Feminist groups; all Ghanaians to sympathise with me and call our political players to order,” she stated, breaking down in tears.
