Former National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Freddie Blay, has disputed the ownership claims that led to the demolition of the Polo Beach Club. He asserts that the property stands on land belonging to the La Traditional Council, not the Labadi Beach Hotel. According to Mr Blay, his son obtained permission from the traditional authorities before developing the property. This was after the hotel directed him to the La Traditional Council, as the land did not belong to the hotel.
Mr Blay's son had initially approached the Labadi Beach Hotel with a proposal to acquire part of the beachfront for development. The hotel, however, directed him to the La Traditional Council. Subsequently, his son entered into discussions with the traditional authorities and secured a lease for the development of the Polo Beach Club. Mr Blay personally accompanied his son during the negotiations and witnessed the agreement reached between the parties. This, he claims, contradicts suggestions that his son was merely occupying the property without authorization.
The Polo Beach Club was demolished on October 2, 2026, during a clearance operation along the La beachfront. The exercise involved personnel from the Ghana Armed Forces' 48 Engineer Regiment and the Ghana Police Service. Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Operations, Stan Dogbe, stated that the exercise was undertaken under National Security supervision following a request from the Labadi Beach Hotel. The hotel had complained that structures and commercial activities along the beachfront were affecting its security, serenity, and reputation.
According to Mr Dogbe, the clearance exercise was independent of the government's flood mitigation programme. The demolition was part of a broader clearance exercise in the La Beach area. Mr Blay had earlier questioned the decision to demolish the facility while the property dispute remained before the courts. He maintained that his son had lawfully obtained the land from the La Stool and rejected assertions that the business was unlawfully occupying the site.
Mr Blay also revealed that the Labadi Beach Hotel had previously taken his son's company to court over the property. The issue of whether the company was an encroacher was part of the matters before the court. However, he claimed that the hotel later withdrew the case after realizing that the proceedings were not developing in its favor. This development has raised questions about the legitimacy of the demolition.
The dispute over the land has already entered the judicial process, and Mr Blay questioned why the facility was demolished while the matter remained unresolved. He insisted that the demolition was unjustified and that the matter should have been resolved through the courts. The incident has sparked a debate about the role of traditional authorities in land allocation and the involvement of security agencies in such disputes.
The demolition of the Polo Beach Club has significant implications for businesses and individuals operating along the La beachfront. It highlights the need for clarity on land ownership and the importance of resolving disputes through the courts. The incident also raises concerns about the use of force in resolving such disputes and the potential for abuse of power.
Key points
- Freddie Blay disputes ownership claims used to demolish Polo Beach Club
- The demolition was part of a broader clearance exercise in the La Beach area
- The dispute over the land has already entered the judicial process
