Residential tenancy related disputes topped cases recorded at the Ashiaman Central ADR Centre near Tema.
Out of the total 1,297 cases received by the Centre in 2017, tenancy disputes topped with an overwhelming 825 cases. It was followed by debt related disputes which recorded 251 cases. There were 51 land disputes, while Family Property disputes has 49, with Child Maintenance recording 23 cases.
There were 35 Marital Disputes, 10 Unaccepted Pregnancy and 52 miscellaneous cases handled by the Centre.
According to the Head of the Centre, Gabriel Atsu, 1,200 out of the total 1,297 cases were successfully settled.
He, however, expressed concern over the high incidence of tenancy conflicts between landlords and tenants in the Centre’s catchment area.
“For 2018 we have received 171 cases, and so far rent is taking a majority,” he told ADR Daily in an interview on the progress of the Centre.
He blamed inadequate education on rent regulations as the cause of the many residential disagreements in the area.
He also said that although most of the cases are successfully settled, some of the parties fail to abide by the agreement, making implementation difficult.
Mr. Atsu gave the assurance that the Centre would continue to create awareness about the essence of ADR and the need for parties to adhere to the settlement arrangements.
Touching on the challenges facing the Centre, which continues to operate from a dilapidated wooden structure located behind the Ashaiman Cluster of School, he said the Centre needed a more suitable and spacious building to work in.
The two-room wooden structure, which is opposite the busy and noisy night market at Ashaiman, was abandoned by a road contractor who put it up for use as a temporal office during a project in the area some years ago.
“We practice only mediation, and as such there must be a suitable environment where mediation can be held which we do not have,” he said.
He explained that the Centre has made several appeals to the central government, the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly and other corporate organisations for aid, but assistance had not been forthcoming.
“We are still awaiting their assistance,” he said.
Mr. Atsu, however, noted that the poor infrastructure and lack of logistics had not discouraged the mediators from serving the community.
“We are suffering but we continue to push through because we believe we are helping the community as well as enhancing justice delivery for national cohesion and development”, he added.
He appealed to the general public and all private organations for support to enable the Centre to deliver on its mandate of enhancing community mediation.
By: Fred Gadese-Mensah/adrdaily.com
