The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has assured that the beaches adjoining the Labadi Beach Hotel and the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel will be cleaned, restored and remain open to the public, following Friday’s demolition of structures along the La beachfront.
In a statement issued by its Board of Trustees, SSNIT said the clean-up and restoration formed part of measures to return the beachfront to “a safe and desirable state” after what it described as persistent unlawful occupation, encroachment and unauthorised activities in front of the two facilities.
The assurance follows controversy over the exercise, which pulled down the Polo Beach Club and other structures along the beachfront and raised questions over the fate of one of Accra’s most popular beach destinations.
SSNIT, however, defended the clearance as an act of fiduciary duty, stressing that the two hotels form part of its investment portfolio and constitute significant national hospitality and tourism assets that must continue to generate sustainable returns for contributors and pensioners under the Basic National Social Security Scheme.
“These assets belong to the workers and pensioners of Ghana,” the Trust said.
It said the encroachment exposed guests, employees, service providers and visitors to safety and security risks, created opportunities for unauthorised access to sensitive guest and operational areas, and increased exposure to fire, sanitation, environmental and public-health hazards.
SSNIT further said the unauthorised activities degraded the coastal ecosystem through construction on the beachfront and beach sand, eroded the privacy and service standards expected of internationally recognised hospitality facilities, and inflicted reputational damage on the hotels, the Trust and Ghana’s tourism industry, with adverse consequences for patronage, revenue and overall financial performance.
It warned that any further expansion of the encroachments could make the recovery of the affected lands “increasingly difficult and costly”, hence its request for the support of the National Security Council Secretariat to protect the assets belonging to Ghanaian workers.
Friday’s operation was executed by personnel of the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces, supported by the Ghana Police Service, who directed vendors and businesses operating in the area to vacate the premises.
The Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Operations, Mr Stan Dogbe, has since explained that the exercise was undertaken at the request of the Labadi Beach Hotel and not as part of the government’s flood mitigation programme.
But the Member of Parliament for La Dade-Kotopon, Mrs Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, has raised questions about the exercise, insisting she had earlier been assured that structures around the Labadi Beach would be spared.
The affected beachfront remains the subject of litigation between the operators of the Polo Beach Club, the Labadi Beach Hotel and other parties over the ownership of the contested land.
