The Member of Parliament for La Dade-Kotopon, Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, has stated that the government had no knowledge of the demolition exercise at La Pleasure Beach in Accra, questioning why the operation proceeded despite assurances that the area would be spared.
The lawmaker made the remarks on Friday, October 2, 2026, when she confronted military personnel supervising the demolition of structures at the beachfront.
Ms Sowah said she had previously engaged relevant government authorities and received assurances that structures around the Labadi Beach Hotel area would not be demolished.
“I went to where I had to go to, the authorities, and they assured me that Labadi Beach would not be demolished,” she said.
She further alleged that the exercise was being led by the board chairman of Labadi Beach Hotel, distancing the central government from the operation.
“It is the Labadi Beach Hotel with their board chairman who is leading this exercise. Government has no knowledge; I will put it on record; government does not know about this,” she stated.
The MP expressed concern about the impact of the exercise on traders, workers and other businesses operating at the facility, saying the demolition threatened the livelihoods of her constituents.
She also questioned the manner in which the operation was being conducted, alleging that some security personnel were wielding firearms and firing shots at the scene.
“What have we done to you? What has La done?” she asked during the confrontation.
The La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly has also reportedly distanced itself from the exercise, indicating that it received no prior notification about the operation.
The demolition began in the early hours of Friday, with personnel from the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service overseeing the clearance.
Security personnel reportedly arrived at about 4:00 a.m. and directed occupants to vacate the premises. Several structures had been pulled down, while others were partially demolished as workers and residents attempted to retrieve their belongings.
The exercise follows weeks of controversy over the future of La Pleasure Beach, with the facility’s management and business operators previously challenging a directive to vacate the premises.
In September, management of the resort disputed claims concerning ownership of the beachfront land, maintaining that the property belonged to Ga landowners and that the matter was before the courts.
