The Accra Turf Club and Ghana’s horse-racing community have demanded the immediate restoration and protection of the Borteyman Racecourse, title to the disputed property and prosecution of those responsible for its demolition, warning that the destruction of the facility threatens the survival of the century-old sport in Ghana.
Members of the horse racing fraternity, led by officials of the Accra Turf Clubs and included various stables, horse owners, jockeys, groomers and trainers took their protest onto the streets of Accra yesterday, pressing the Lands Commission, government ministries and other state agencies to resolve a dispute that has escalated dramatically since an alleged forceful takeover of the racecourse on August 22.
The protesters presented petitions to key state institutions, insisting that the issue has moved beyond a land dispute to become a test of accountability, property rights and the state’s commitment to protecting an industry the Turf Club says supports more than 30,000 livelihoods.
Demands
Their demands are unequivocal, stressing that the Lands Commission must perfect the Accra Turf Club’s land documentation and grant it title to the Borteyman property.
The demands include ensuring the racecourse be reclaimed and secured, those responsible for the recent destruction be made to face justice, and the government must ensure that facilities promised under the club’s original relocation agreement are finally delivered.
The protest followed weeks of growing anger within the racing community after the Turf Club alleged that about 200 armed men, accompanied by police officers and heavy-duty machinery, stormed the Borteyman Racecourse and demolished key facilities before taking control of the property.
The Board Secretary of the Accra Turf Club, Sam Newton, told the Daily Graphic that the frustration cut across the entire racing ecosystem — from owners and trainers to jockeys, groomers and individual stables — because their livelihoods and the future of the sport were at stake.
During yesterday’s protest, the Turf Club carried its case directly to the presidency, the Ministry of Sports and Recreation and the Lands Commission.
A presidential staffer, Nana Yaa Jantuah, received the club’s petition on behalf of President Mahama.
At the Lands Commission, the Board Chairman, Dr Wordsworth Odame Larbi, received the petition and indicated that the organisation would continue engaging the parties in an attempt to find an amicable resolution to the issues surrounding the demolition and takeover.
However, for the Accra Turf Club Chairman, Federick Nuer, the stakes extended far beyond the ownership of a parcel of land.
He pointed out that the sport’s future was under threat, with decades of institutional history and the future of organised horse racing hanging in the balance.
“We won’t allow anybody to destroy horse racing in Ghana,” he declared during the peaceful protest.
Mr Newton appealed directly to President John Dramani Mahama to instruct the relevant ministries, state agencies and security authorities to intervene, remove what the club described as illegal occupants and protect the racecourse from further encroachment or destruction.
