La Pleasure Beach victims to be compensated after committee assessment – Naa Odoley Sowah

Persons whose businesses and properties were affected by the demolition of facilities at La Pleasure Beach in Accra are expected to receive compensation.

La Dadekotopon MP and Deputy Local Government Minister Naa Odoley Sowah has disclosed that a committee would be constituted by early next week to assess the circumstances of affected persons and determine the appropriate form of compensation.

Speaking before Parliament’s Committee on Local Government and Decentralisation on October 6, Mrs Sowah said the committee would include representatives of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), the La Dadekotopon Municipal Assembly (LaDMA), traditional authorities, management of the affected beach facilities and her office.

She said data had already been collected on the affected persons and would form the basis for determining the support they may receive.

“So those affected will be compensated and the decision for the type of compensation has not been finalised but as the MP I am following up deeply on that to ensure that everybody gets what they are supposed to get,” she said.

According to Mrs. Sowah, the committee will consider both financial compensation and the needs of persons who may have to be relocated.

No specific amount has been announced, as the committee is expected to deliberate on the matter before making a recommendation.

The planned compensation follows a recent demolition exercise at La Pleasure Beach, where military personnel cleared structures and facilities as part of an exercise linked to concerns over development and the coastal environment.

The demolition affected businesses and other operators at the beach, raising concerns about the impact on livelihoods and property owners.

Mrs. Sowah, however, stressed that the La Pleasure Beach exercise was separate from the demolition at Laboma Beach.

“Laboma Beach demolishing is a different issue but subsequently Laboma concerns will come up,” she told the committee.

LaDMA Chief Executive Alfredos Nii Anyetei said the Laboma demolition was undertaken as part of measures to address flooding and restore an ecological site.

He said the assembly was not consulted before the exercise but was later shown the locations where the demolition was to be carried out.