Ghana Water Company Limited in Ashanti Region is insisting on ownership to a property earmarked for demolition by private developers at the Ridge Residential Area in Kumasi.

Workers at the water company say they will resist any attempts to strip them off a property they claim to have owned for over five decades.

For almost three days, water consumers in the Ashanti Region were left stranded in search of alternative water sources.

The water company in the region shut down operations after private developers pulled down structures on a land, they lay claim to own.

But following a meeting with management, workers of the Ghana Water Limited in Ashanti temporarily suspended their strike.

The workers union highlighted management’s swift and decisive action to secure the property under threat and ensure justice for the illegal demolitions.

Workers’ Representative on the Board of the Ghana Water Limited, Ing Dr. Hadisu Alhassan, explains reason for the suspension.

However, the workers threaten to boycott services should the encroachers lay ‘siege’ again.

“The suspension is motivated by management’s assurances to address the grievances that prompted the strike, particularly issues surrounding the recent unlawful demolition of the residence of Chief Managers in the Ashanti Region and escalating threats to Ghana Water Company Limited’s (GWCL) properties,” he said.

In 2022, the Government released a portion of state lands at the Ridge Residential Area in Kumasi to the Asantehene.

JoyNews checks reveal the said property form part of the 200 bungalows on the 400 acres of land expected to be relocated.

But the workers claim not to be in the know of any formal communication for relocation.

“The union also pointed out that while negotiations regarding land related disputes were held with the Lands Commission (LCC), Ghana Water Company Limited, which has been the custodian of the lands for over 50 years, was not involved in the process,” Ing Dr Alhassan said.

Meanwhile, the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission is advising the water company to use appropriate channels to address challenges without punishing consumers.

Until a lasting solution is found to the situation, water consumers in the region will again suffer the consequences of the impasse.