Editorial: Unlawful Encroachment On Borteyman Sports Complex Lands Must Be Stopped!

The Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has raised alarm over the unlawful encroachment on lands allocated for the Borteyman Sports Complex in Accra. Originally secured from the University of Ghana in 2021 and spanning 99 acres, only 43 acres remain in government control. Private developers have encroached on the remaining 56 acres, engaging in rapid and unauthorised development.

The Minister, during a site visit, condemned the illegal activities and warned individuals to halt transactions involving the encroached land. He emphasised that the government holds legal documentation for the land and is working with the Ministry of Defence to retrieve and protect it. Plans to construct a boundary wall are also underway.

The Borteyman Sports Complex, a legacy project from the 13th African Games, includes high-quality sports infrastructure such as Olympic-standard pools and indoor sports facilities.

The Chronicle fully supports Minister Kofi Adams’ strong condemnation of this encroachment. His warning is timely and his pledge to retrieve the land is not only appropriate but crucial. Illegal occupation of state property, especially one intended for national development, should never be tolerated under any administration and those involved must face the full rigour of the law.

The Borteyman Sports Complex was designed with a clear vision to serve as a lasting legacy after the 13th African Games, providing world-class training and competition venues for athletes across disciplines. This is a place where future Olympians and continental champions are meant to train.

The infrastructure,ranging from Olympic-standard swimming pools to multi-sport halls is unmatched in Ghana’s recent sports history. Allowing private developers to truncate this vision through selfish and illegal land grabs is equivalent to mortgaging our sports future for short-term profit.

The brazen speed with which private developers are building on the land within just the last three months suggests that these encroachers are operating with impunity. If the government does not act decisively and visibly, it sends a dangerous message that national interest can be ignored and treated with impunity.

Indeed, this is not the first time we have seen state lands swallowed by unauthorised developments. From CSIR land in Accra to portions of Achimota Forest and Aviation lands, encroachment is becoming a chronic national disease. But the Borteyman Complex must not be allowed to suffer the same fate. We must draw a red line.

We commend the Minister’s assurance that the land is fully registered with the Lands Commission and that legal documentation exists to reclaim the stolen land. But documentation alone is not enough. Enforcement is critical. The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Lands Commission, the Police and Military must collaborate to halt further construction, demolish illegal structures and prosecute those found culpable.

It is also time to implement preventive measures. Building a boundary wall to secure the land, as proposed by the Minister, is a step in the right direction. But this must be coupled with active surveillance, regular inspections and real-time monitoring.

We must also call out people who, knowingly or unknowingly, purchase state lands for private use. As the Minister rightfully warned, people must stop buying lands in the area immediately. Ignorance is no excuse when it comes to purchasing stolen land.

Let Borteyman not become yet another headline of dreams deferred by greed and inaction.

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