Ghana Trade Fair Company explains why it demolished tenants' properties

The Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited (GTFCL) has explained why it demolished properties of its tenants at the Trade Fair Centre in Accra last Sunday night [February 16, 2020].

The demolition, according to the GTFCL is to pave way for the redevelopment of the site and that the tenants were duly notified about the development.

Among the tenants at the trade fair centre whose properties were destroyed by a bulldozer under the supervision of armed security personnel was Universal Labels & Packaging Co. Ltd and Colour Planet, a printing company owned by Raymond Archer, a journalist. 

According to Mr Archer, he had invested about US$10 million in equipment for the company and the demolition exercise affected the equipment.

"The GTFCL had informed all the tenants about the redevelopment project and gave them the mandatory 6-month notice on July 10, 2018, to vacate the site by 31st December of the same year [2018], the GTFCL explained in a press statement issued to explain the issue.

It said since 2017 the Ghana Trade Fair Company has been engaging key stakeholders to redevelop the site. A Masterplan has been approved by the Board and Cabinet, and a horizontal developer secured with PPA approval on 28th June 2019 to provide the critical infrastructure needed for the lease of the site to private developers to develop the various facilities earmarked in the Masterplan to support the Ghana Trade Fair Company’s Convention and Exhibition Facilities. What has been in the way of the redevelopment are a number of structures on site occupied by a number of businesses, whose agreements had long expired, it said.

Notice

it said prior to this, on September 24, 2017, the Company sent notices to all tenants to renew their tenancy agreements for another year. Reminders followed on November 1st 2017 to renew by November 10, 2017 for the last time before the redevelopment was to start in 2019.

"Since 31st December 2018, therefore, none of the business on-site had any valid tenancy agreement with the GTFCL."

it said in November 2018 the company took the initiative to engage with the businesses one-on-one to discuss the redevelopment project and its impact on them. Some of the businesses took advantage of the offer, others didn’t, it said.

it said despite the expiration of the agreements, the company has been very cooperative with the businesses with the view to finding the least disruptive means of achieving the goal of redevelopment.

"When the Company commenced demolition of some redundant facilities in the first quarter of 2019, some of the businesses took the Company to court and further secured an injunction to restrain the Company from evicting them from the site."

It said on Wednesday 12th February 2020 His Lordship Emmanuel Amo Yartey (J) of the High Court of Justice, Land Court 7, vacated the injunction order “for the Government to go ahead with the facelift of the Ghana Trade Fair site for the betterment of the nation as well as Plaintiffs…”

Following the vacation of the injunction order demolition of some structures took place on the night of Sunday the 16th of February 2020.

it said contrary to what is being speculated, the GTFCL was never served any notice of any further injunction granted by any Court.

"Had we been served we would surely have respected it as we did previously," it added.

Raymond Archer

Some of the affected companies, Universal Labels & Packaging Co. Ltd and Colour Planet, owned by Raymond Archer, a journalist said they were surprised about the demolition exercise which also destroyed their machines.

Mr Archer in separate radio interviews claimed that his company had invested close to $10million in equipment at the site.

He explained the nature of the equipment was such that he needed time to assemble engineers to uninstall them. 

And since different engineers from different countries installed them, he needed more time to do that

He said the demolition of the building with a bulldozer was done in a way such that it affected the printing machine and other goods in the building.

Below is a copy of the statement issued by the GTFCL on the issue

GHANA INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR CENTRE REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT

The Ghana Trade Fair Company is redeveloping the Ghana International Trade Fair Centre into an ultra-modern, first-class, mixed-use facility with a focus on trade facilitation and business promotion.

Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited envisions a lively community at the Trade Fair Centre for both residents and visitors and is working to improve the visible and infrastructural components to transform this site into an active 24-hour destination. With uses that will enliven the site around the clock, the area promises to become a major draw for the greater Accra region day and night.

The re-developed site will cover an area of about 150 acres and will offer a variety of services and facilities built around an ultra-modern modern Convention Centre. The other facilities include Exhibition Halls Technology Hub, Social/Entertainment/Recreational Centre, Commercial Offices/Business Incubation Centre, High-End Apartments, Public Realm spaces, Retail Mall, Hotels and an African Trade Village.

Designed to be the largest of its kind in Africa, the 60,000 square metre Convention Centre and Exhibition Halls anchors one end of a North-South axis running down the middle of the Trade Fair and will be a major hub of activity – exhibitions, concerts and trade shows. The defining feature of this convention centre is its 25,000-seat facility.

The project, which is expected to be completed by 2022, is the joint effort of the Ghana Trade Fair Company and interested investors, developers and financiers.

The redeveloped facility will not only be physically attractive, but also commercially viable, capable of sustaining itself and further generating significant economic and commercial benefits to its shareholder through dividend payments, job creation etc. It will also support Ghana’s emergence as a regional and global trade leader through organization of world-class fairs and exhibitions. It will also be the prime institution for business trade facilitation in Ghana and will promote business exposure by creating matchmaking opportunities for Ghanaian businesses and their counterparts abroad. It will provide the conference facilities in Accra for high-level events relating to Ghana’s hosting of the Secretariat of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AcFTA). It will be the first-ever facility in Ghana to provide such services to the AcFTA.

The Project is located in a prime area of Accra which already houses first-class facilities including the La Palm Royal and Labadi Hotels patronized by foreign businessmen and dignitaries.

Since 2017 the Ghana Trade Fair Company has been engaging key stakeholders to redevelop the site. A Masterplan has been approved by the Board and Cabinet, and a horizontal developer secured with PPA approval on 28th June 2019 to provide the critical infrastructure needed for the lease of the site to private developers to develop the various facilities earmarked in the Masterplan to support the Ghana Trade Fair Company’s Convention and Exhibition Facilities. What has been in the way of the redevelopment are a number of structures on site occupied by a number of businesses, whose agreements had long expired.

The GTFCL had informed all the tenants about the redevelopment project and gave them the mandatory 6-month notice on July 10 2018 to vacate the site by 31st December of the same year.

Prior to this, on September 24, 2017, the Company sent notices to all tenants to renew their tenancy agreements for another year. Reminders followed on November 1st 2017 to renew by November 10, 2017 for the last time before the redevelopment was to start in 2019.

Since 31st December 2018, therefore, none of the business on-site had any valid tenancy agreement with the GTFCL.

In November 2018 the Company took the initiative to engage with the businesses one-on-one to discuss the redevelopment project and its impact on them. Some of the businesses took advantage of the offer, others didn’t.

Despite the expiration of the agreements, the Company has been very cooperative with the businesses with the view to finding the least disruptive means of achieving the goal of redevelopment.

When the Company commenced demolition of some redundant facilities in the first quarter of 2019, some of the businesses took the Company to court and further secured an injunction to restrain the Company from evicting them from the site.

On Wednesday 12th February 2020 His Lordship Emmanuel Amo Yartey (J) of the High Court of Justice, Land Court 7, vacated the injunction order “for the Government to go ahead with the facelift of the Ghana Trade Fair site for the betterment of the nation as well as Plaintiffs…”

Following the vacation of the injunction order demolition of some structures took place on the night of Sunday the 16th of February 2020.

Contrary to what is being speculated, the GTFCL was never served any notice of any further injunction granted by any Court. Had we been served we would surely have respected it as we did previously.

It is worthy of note that the previous agreements had clauses that clearly forbade tenants from developing permanent structures on the site. It further informed them of the impending developments and the Master plan developed for that purpose. They were warned that the implementation of the Master Plan would involve demolishing of some structures. They were advised to be mindful of the level of funds they invest in structures and to use materials that can easily be dismantled.

In our view the Company took all necessary steps to inform the businesses about the redevelopment Project and tried to protect them and their investments.

Finally, the GTFCL wants to make it categorically clear that, contrary to what is being speculated in the media, no business or businesses have ever been targeted for demolition because of their political or other affiliations.