Businesses and vendors affected by the La Pleasure Beach demolition in Accra are set to receive compensation, with a committee to be formed by early next week to decide what they will get. La Dadekotopon MP and Deputy Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, made this known on Tuesday, October 6, 2026.
She was speaking before Parliament’s Committee on Local Government and Decentralisation, which took up the demolition exercise at the popular beachfront.
According to the Deputy Minister, data on all the affected persons has already been gathered. The committee will review that data and decide on the type of relief each person or business should receive.
The type and amount of compensation have not yet been decided.
La Pleasure Beach compensation committee: who will sit on it
Naa Odoley Sowah said the compensation committee will be made up of representatives from several bodies with a stake in the beachfront.
- Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT)
- La Dadekotopon Municipal Assembly (LaDMA)
- Traditional authorities in La
- Management of the affected beach facilities
- The La Dadekotopon MP, Rita Naa Odoley Sowah
“We have gotten their data, and the committee is going to look at what we are going to give to them as compensation,” she told the parliamentary committee.
She added that the matter will be discussed by the committee before any decision is reached, and that she will personally follow up to ensure affected people are treated fairly.
What we know about the La beach demolition
The demolition took place on the morning of Friday, October 2, 2026, along the La beachfront near the Labadi Beach Hotel and La Palm Royal Beach Hotel.
Popular spots including La Pleasure Beach and Polo Beach Club were pulled down. Citi Newsroom reported that military personnel from the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces, supported by the Ghana Police Service, supervised the exercise, and vendors were directed to leave the area.
SSNIT, which owns the two hotels, said it requested the support of National Security to protect the assets, describing the structures as unauthorised encroachments. GhanaTrends earlier reported the eight risks SSNIT cited and Dr Bawumia’s pledge to issue leases to La beach businesses.
How the compensation promise compares with earlier positions
When the demolition happened, no compensation plan had been announced. The La Dadekotopon MP protested the exercise on the day, insisting that local authorities had not been informed.
“Government has no knowledge; I will put it on record: government has no knowledge,” she said at the time, adding that she had made enquiries earlier and was told the demolition would not take place.
- October 2: Structures at La Pleasure Beach and Polo Beach Club demolished; no compensation announced.
- October 3: SSNIT defends the clearance; MP announces a stakeholder meeting for the following week.
- October 6: Deputy Minister tells Parliament data on affected persons has been collected and a compensation committee is coming.
- Early next week: Compensation committee expected to be formed.
Laboma Beach demolition handled separately
The Deputy Minister made it clear that the compensation process announced on Tuesday covers La Pleasure Beach.
The demolition at Laboma Beach will be dealt with under separate arrangements, she said. No details of those arrangements were given.
What the compensation means for La beach vendors and workers
For bar operators, vendors and workers who lost their premises and goods, the announcement is the first official sign that they could receive some form of relief.
According to reports from the hearing, both relocation needs and financial compensation are expected to be considered, depending on each person’s circumstances.
However, affected persons will have to wait for the committee to meet before they know how much, if anything, they will receive and when.
What happens next
The compensation committee is expected to be constituted by early next week. Once it starts meeting, it will review the data collected on affected persons and recommend the type of compensation.
Naa Odoley Sowah said she will update Parliament’s Local Government committee on whatever the compensation committee decides. Further details on the official position of the relevant agencies are expected from Graphic Online’s report of the parliamentary hearing and follow-up statements.
Key details at a glance
- Victims of the La Pleasure Beach demolition are to be compensated.
- A compensation committee will be formed by early next week.
- Members include SSNIT, LaDMA, traditional authorities, beach management and the area MP.
- Data on all affected persons has already been gathered.
- The type and amount of compensation are yet to be decided.
- The demolition took place on Friday, October 2, 2026.
- Laboma Beach will be handled under separate arrangements.
FAQs
Will La Pleasure Beach demolition victims be compensated?
Yes. Deputy Local Government Minister Rita Naa Odoley Sowah told Parliament on October 6, 2026 that a committee will determine compensation for affected persons.
Who demolished La Pleasure Beach?
SSNIT, owner of the Labadi Beach Hotel and La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, said it requested National Security support to clear the structures, and reports say military personnel and police supervised the exercise on October 2.
How much compensation will La beach vendors get?
No amount has been announced. The compensation committee, to be formed by early next week, will decide the type and amount after reviewing data on affected persons.
The promise of compensation marks a shift for La Pleasure Beach operators, who lost their businesses on October 2 with no relief plan in place. With data already collected and a committee due next week, attention now turns to how quickly the committee meets and what it offers the vendors, workers and business owners who depended on the beachfront.
