Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Operations, Stan Dogbe, has clarified that the demolition of structures along the La Beach area in Accra was not part of the government’s flood mitigation exercise.
His comments follow the demolition of the La Pleasure Beach and the Polo Beach Club near the Labadi Beach Hotel as part of an exercise to clear structures along the beachfront.
Military personnel from the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces, supported by the Ghana Police Service, supervised the operation and directed vendors and businesses operating in the area to vacate the premises.
However, in a Facebook post on Friday, October 2, Mr Dogbe said the operation was separate from the work of the government’s flood mitigation task force.
“Let’s not get it twisted. Friday’s action along a section of the beachfront was not a Flood Mitigation Action by the government task force,” he said.
He said the operation was unrelated to works being undertaken by the task force at the Kpeshie Lagoon, East Legon Boundary Road, Oyarifa and behind Mayfair Estates.
According to Stan Dogbe, the demolition was carried out under the supervision of National Security at the request of the Labadi Beach Hotel.
“These are structures, some permanently built (Polo Beach Club and others) on the beach in front of the hotel, and which, according to the business, are adversely affecting the safety, tranquillity and reputation of the Hotel, diminishing the visitor experience and undermining the orderly management of one of Ghana’s most important tourism destinations,” he said.
Mr Dogbe said the hotel would provide further details on the reasons for seeking to reclaim its beachfront.
He also raised concerns about sanitation and security, arguing that unauthorised and unregulated commercial activities along the beach posed wider challenges.
“We must all be concerned about the serious sanitation issues that these unauthorised and unregulated commercial operations cause, in addition to the security risks,” he said.
He added that he had reviewed drone footage and videos of the area before questioning whether the Labadi Beach Hotel was justified in seeking to reclaim its beachfront.
“Is the Labadi Beach Hotel not right in reclaiming its beach front (I am not talking about the La Pleasure Beach, please),” he said.