Freddie Blay
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Chairman, Freddie Blay, is holding President John Mahama responsible for the demolition of the Polo Beach Club, describing the exercise as politically motivated.
The demolition, carried out on October 1 by the National Security Secretariat on behalf of Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), brought down several structures along the Labadi beachfront, including the popular Polo Beach Club.
While authorities described occupants of the beach resorts as squatters, Mr. Blay has disputed the claim, insisting the land for the Polo Beach Club was legally acquired from the La Traditional Council by his son.
“I accompanied my son to the La Traditional Council, where they agreed, negotiated and granted him a leasehold over that piece of land to set it up. So, he didn’t just come from the sky to be there,” he disclosed.
He says the demolition has now forced the family to go to court. He made the allegations in an interview with Joy News. When asked why he believes it was politically motivated, he responded: “I don’t want to go there,” but maintained that President John Mahama ordered the demolition of the Polo Beach Club.
“The 48 Engineer Regiment can’t undertake a movement of this nature without a nod from the chairman of the National Security Council. That’s the President. It’s dangerous. So this is probably a presidential-sponsored demolition that I have seen,” he said.
“SSNIT and Labadi people have come out to say that they met with the President, and that the only reason they have been losing business, which they were trying to inform the President about, was that Polo Club was taking their business,” he indicated.
Mr. Blay added that the Polo Beach Club demolition is not the only property battle confronting the Blay family. He claimed that 40 housing units belonging to another son, Kwame Blay, at Borteyman, have also been demolished, allegedly by the Jospong Group of Companies.
“One of them is not directly involved. Kwame, unfortunately, he had his own estate building going on but it was demolished due to land litigation,” he said.
A Daily Guide Report