Transcript of Interview by CITI97.3FM's Richard Mensah of MRA President Edem Senanu

Residents of Manetville, off the Spintex Road, are accusing management of Manet Housing Limited of dishonesty** in relation to promises made to them before they bought the Estate. The residents [who are besides themselves with anger ] are/have therefore demanding/ed that all promises, in terms of the facilities, should be provided on the Estate without delay. Residents noted that since moving into their homes some eight years ago, facilities, such as street lighting, and ultra-modern shopping centre, recreational centre, and schools—as well as tarred roads, and adequate drainage pled to them to be provided by the company had all remained an illusion.

According to the president of the MRA, Edem Senanu, aside the social amenities which has not been provided, security on/at the Estate is nothing to write home about, making them prey to criminals. He wondered how the management of Manet housing estates could take them for granted after collecting huge sums from them. Edem Senanu spoke to CITI news about their concerns.

We are only asking because that was what was promised us as part of the package when we were paying for the properties here. The brochure, which you might have seen, states categorically that in addition to streetlights, and tarred roads, and so on and so forth, it would provide ultra-modern shopping centre, a recreational centre, and other social facilities. SO this is part of the package that we have bought. And we have paid for it. And therefore it is due to us, because we have already paid. She’s taken our money, and using it to improve her business. So it is her responsibility to make sure she delivers on what she has promised.

CITI: In that instance, are you saying that she has perpetrated fraud on you?

Edem: I am not a technical person, nor legal, so I don’t know whether it’s fraud. But I do know that it’s unfair, it is not just; and it is deceptive. It is deceptive to say I will do this, give us the brochure, we look at it, we accept it, we pay you for it. We come here, and eight years down the line, while some of our friends have even died and we have buried them, we are still not enjoying some of these things. It is a big disappointment to all of us.

Edem Senanu is the president of Manetville Residents Association

GNA Report: "Manet residents call for supply of social amenities"

Accra, March 24, GNA - The Manet Ville Residents Association on Saturday called on the management of the Manet Housing Limited to provide without delay the social amenities that they had promised in the brochure when the houses were been sold out.

Residents said since moving into their homes some eight years ago facilities such as street lightning, an ultra-modern shopping centre, the recreational centre and school as well as tarred roads and adequate drainage pledged to be provided by the company had all remained an illusion.



Mr Edem Senanu, President of the Residents Association told a press conference in Accra, that besides the facilities, the absence of a completed perimeter fence wall and security posts, with lights and security bars put the lives of the residents at risk and made them easy prey for attack by thieves as everyone had access to the estate. "Hardly a day passes by without a resident having his car broken into. You have to go everywhere with your kids because you are not sure what might happen in your absence," he said.

Mr Senanu said all attempts to get management of the company to fulfil its obligations to residents since 2001 had fallen on deaf ears and pledged the resolve of members to use all available platforms to have their rights met.


According to him, since 1999, there had been no progress on the ultra modern shopping complex promised or the recreational centre. The estate had not been completely walled off, security posts not completed and street lighting did not exist in various sections of the estate.


Besides, various sections of roads in the estates remain untarred and large sections of the estate have no gutters or drains for rainwater resulting in water collecting in pools and breeding mosquitoes.

"We shall continue to keep this issue at the heart of public debate. We will be vigilant, persistent and committed. We shall make the sacrifices that are necessary and we will not be swayed by any challenge that comes our way," he told journalists at the press conference.



Mr. Senanu appealed to Parliament, the Ghana Real Estate Developers Association, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and the Environmental Protection Agency to assist in ensuring that the right thing was done. "We call on all well-meaning Ghanaians home and abroad to condemn such actions and to refuse to tolerate service providers who will not deliver on their promise, wherever they may be found and whenever they seek their patronage," he stressed.


ENDs
from: http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/printnews.php?ID=121384


pictures were taken by a resident living on the Estate, between April 2006 and 24 March, 2007 when the press conference was held