The Tema Traditional Council says it would not compensate residents of Tema Manhean, whose homes it plans to demolish next week Friday.

The demolition which was scheduled for today was postponed on humanitarian grounds.

Though residents claim more than 500 homes would be demolished, the council insists they are far less.

The residents say they would only relocate voluntarily if they are compensated, although they admit the land is not theirs.

But the Secretary of the Council Nii Armah Sonkpor told Joy News' Joseph Opoku Gakpo the residents have no case.

"Most of them have abandoned the fish smoking business and have turned themselves into land lords and are taking rents  from others who have settled on the land.

"Now that we have seen that they want to litigate with us, we will try to prove to them that we own the land," he explained.

He said they are not obliged to pay them any compensation.

But a private Legal Practitioner Kwame Akuffo is backing the residents claim to the land because they have lived there for  more than twelve years.

He explained that squatters who stay on a piece of land for over twelve years are by law assumed to be new owners of the land.

The residents in Tema Manhean have lived in the area for over 50 years.