Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Operations, Stan Dogbe, has sought to distinguish the demolition of structures around La Beach in Accra from the government’s ongoing flood mitigation programme, saying Friday’s operation was undertaken separately at the request of the Labadi Beach Hotel.
Mr Dogbe said the exercise, which involved personnel from the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service, was conducted under the supervision of National Security.
His clarification follows the demolition of the La Pleasure Beach and the Polo Beach Club, as well as other structures around the beachfront, in an operation that began in the early hours of Friday, October 2.
In a Facebook post, Mr Dogbe stressed that the operation should not be linked to the work of the government’s Flood Mitigation Task Force.
“Friday’s action along a section of the beachfront was not a Flood Mitigation Action by the government task force,” he said.
He explained that the task force’s activities were focused on specific locations, including the Kpeshie Lagoon, East Legon Boundary Road, Oyarifa and areas behind Mayfair Estates, rather than the section of the La beachfront affected by Friday’s demolition.
According to Mr Dogbe, the structures demolished were located on the beach in front of the Labadi Beach Hotel and the operation was carried out at the hotel’s request.
He said the hotel had complained that some of the permanent structures, including the Polo Beach Club, were affecting the safety and tranquillity of the hotel environment, its reputation and the experience of visitors.
Mr Dogbe added that the Labadi Beach Hotel would provide further details on its reasons for seeking to reclaim the beachfront.
He also raised concerns about sanitation and security, arguing that unregulated commercial activities along the beach could create sanitation problems and security risks.
The clarification comes amid controversy over the demolition, with the La Dade-Kotopon Member of Parliament, Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, questioning the exercise and saying she had previously been assured that the structures would not be demolished. She also raised concerns about the manner in which the operation was conducted.
Management of La Pleasure Beach had earlier disputed the basis for the planned demolition, saying the ownership of the beachfront was the subject of a pending court dispute.
The latest operation has therefore brought renewed attention to the competing issues of beachfront development, land ownership, sanitation, security and the government’s broader efforts to manage vulnerable coastal and flood-prone areas.
