The owners of a seven-storey commercial property at Makola Drug Lane in Accra have appealed to the Mayor of Accra and relevant authorities to help them take full possession of their property by ensuringc the peaceful removal of traders occupying portions of the access road and frontage of the facility.
The appeal followed concerns raised by some traders at Makola Drug Lane, many of them market women, who had called on the government and traditional leaders to intervene over moves to evict them from the area where they said they had traded for years.
Speaking at a press engagement in Accra on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, Abigail Zakuor, Estates Officer, said the land on which the seven-storey commercial facility stood was lawfully acquired by the owners in 1999, adding that they had remained the legitimate owners of the property since then.She explained that construction of the commercial development began inv 2020, during which leaders of the traders, who were then squatting around the property, appealed to the owners to allow them to remain temporarily around the construction hoarding.
According to her, the owners granted the request out of goodwill and in the interest of peaceful coexistence, stressing that the arrangement was never intended to be permanent.She said now that construction works had been completed, the owners had respectfully asked the traders to vacate the property and its immediate surroundings to allow them to take full possession and put the development to its intended use.
Ms Zakuor described the request as lawful and reasonable, saying it was within the rights of the owners under Ghanaian laws, including the Land Use and Spatial Planning Act, 2016, Act 925, the Land Act, 2020, Act 1036, and other relevant legal provisions.
She said the seven-storey facility, which comprised ground-floor warehousing, shopping areas and office spaces, represented a major private investment expected to support business activity, create jobs, improve the commercial value of the area and contribute to the modernisation of Accra.Ms Zakuor said the facility could not operate effectively if its frontage and access areas remained cluttered with unauthorised structures and trading activities, adding that tenants, clients, suppliers, vehicles and emergency services needed proper access, order and security.
The property owners therefore appealed to President John Dramani Mahama, the Mayor of Accra, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, the security agencies and all relevant authorities to take an objective view of the matter and help ensure a peaceful, humane and lawful resolution while protecting private property rights and investment in the development of Accra.
