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When bulldozers roll into Accra’s nightlife territory, even the city’s biggest entertainment players cannot simply look away.
Rapper and entrepreneur D-Black has weighed in on the ongoing demolition exercise at La Pleasure Beach Resort, describing the situation as deeply unfortunate and raising concerns about the people whose livelihoods are tied to the beachfront.
Speaking on the sidelines of a recent comedy show, the “Vera” hitmaker expressed worry over what he sees as a growing pattern of beachside establishments being shut down.
With years of experience building his own nightlife and entertainment businesses, D-Black pointed to previous closures involving spots such as Flamingo, Ula Beach, Polo Beach and Vienna City Beach Club.
For him, however, the biggest concern goes beyond the buildings themselves.
Behind every beach bar, restaurant or entertainment spot are workers, vendors, food sellers and small business owners who depend on the daily hustle to survive. D-Black therefore called on authorities to consider fair compensation for people displaced by the demolition exercise.
And that is where the conversation gets complicated.
The Social Security and National Insurance Trust, SSNIT, has defended the military-backed operation, arguing that the exercise is necessary to protect state-owned assets.
According to SSNIT, unauthorized structures along the beachfront had encroached on property belonging to the adjacent Labadi Beach Hotel and La Palm Royal Beach Hotel.
So while government institutions are focused on protecting property boundaries and state investments, the informal hospitality economy is staring at a very different reality.
For Accra’s beach culture, these spaces have become more than just places to grab a drink, eat some food or enjoy music by the sea. They are also sources of income for countless people who depend on the steady flow of customers.
D-Black’s intervention therefore adds another voice to a debate that is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore: how can authorities protect public and private assets while also ensuring that ordinary workers and small businesses do not become collateral damage?
Because when the bulldozers leave, the bigger question remains: what happens to the people whose livelihoods were built around the rubble?
