Accra: Some traders operating in front of the old Tema Community One Casino building on Tuesday expressed worry over the demolition of their wooden and glass structures by a private developer following a court order. The demolition was carried out manually under the protection of police officers. To ensure that the traders do not return to the premises, trucks of sand were tipped on the grounds at the displeasure of the affected traders.
According to Ghana News Agency, the aggrieved traders marched to the premises of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) to demand answers for the actions, claiming that they have been paying tolls to the assembly, but the city guards prevented them from entering the premises. The private developer, a Lebanese known as 'Captan', secured a court order after several attempts to evict the traders from the said area, which were always met with resistance.
The traders noted that several institutions, including Stanbic Bank, UCA, and Melcom, had operated from the casino structure without evicting them from the premises, raising questions about the recent actions. Mr. Kwabena Agyei, an affected trader, mentioned that in 2024, they were served with a court letter indicating that the private developer had been declared the rightful owner of the land in question. He questioned why the summons was not directed to the TMA, which they believe has ownership of the land due to their collection of tolls and rates.
Miss Victoria Glago, another trader, recounted how other traders alerted them at dawn about the demolition, reporting that truckloads of sand had been brought onto the land they trade on, and their shops were being demolished.
