The Ghana Golf Association has petitioned the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, over alleged encroachment on the Celebrity Golf Course in Sakumono, raising concerns about the future of the facility.
In a letter dated 27th January 2025, the association detailed a series of what they claim are unlawful activities on the golf course, despite an existing court injunction.
Copies of the petition have also been sent to the President of Ghana, the Minister of Interior, the Minister of Sports and Recreation, and the Greater Accra Regional Minister.
According to the petition, the Celebrity Golf Club, part of a golf estate and holiday resort, was leased from the Tema Development Corporation in 1987, with a revised agreement in 2000 extending the lease period to 60 years and expanding the land size to 275 acres.
However, in 2022, Nungua Mantse, Odaifio Welentsi II, through his attorney Seth Tawiah Badu, initiated legal action at the Tema High Court, claiming that part of the club’s land was within the Ramsar site and asserting allodial ownership. On 11th July 2023, the court placed an interlocutory injunction on both parties.
Despite the court order, the petition alleges that developers and land guards have encroached on the golf course, clearing trees, erecting walls, blocking access to a critical water dam, and depositing construction materials.
The encroachers are said to have demarcated parts of the course, including hole 2, for further development.
The association further claims that although reports were made to the Sakumono Divisional Police, Baatsona District Police, and the Accra Regional Police, enforcement efforts have been ineffective.
The Greater Accra Regional Police Commander allegedly issued a directive preventing police patrols from intervening, purportedly under the influence of a group known as the Celebrity North and Annexe Residents Association, led by Gloria Akosua Kobi and Isaac Kweku Otchere.
This group reportedly claims ownership of 18 acres of the land, allegedly granted by the Forestry Commission, with approval from the outgoing Metropolitan Chief Executive of the Tema West Metropolitan Assembly.
The petition highlights concerns from golfers and staff, who feel threatened by the encroachers’ presence near the playing course. It also notes significant damage to the facility’s infrastructure, including trees, shrubs, and green spaces cultivated over the years.
On 24th January 2025, the Captain of the Celebrity Golf Club, alongside members and the President of the Ghana Golf Association, held a press conference to express their displeasure over the situation.
The association is urging the Lands Minister to intervene to prevent further encroachment, warning that failure to act could lead to the destruction of the golf course.
Eric Duker, a retired member of the Celebrity Golf Club, on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, described the happenings on the course as sad.
“What is happening at the Celebrity Golf Course is very sad,” he said when JoySports visited the site to ascertain the level of encroachment.
“Landguards and other individuals are encroaching on the golf course itself. In golf, the course is essential; without it, there is no game. We play on the land we call the golf course, so when people take over parts of it, they are taking away our ability to enjoy the sport and exercise.”
Duker urged all Ghanaians to support efforts to protect the facility before the situation worsens.
Below is the full petition letter:
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