Board Chairman of Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited (GTFCL) has said that the demolishing of businesses at the Trade Fair is not politically motivated but rather is part of a process to redevelop the Trade Fair Centre in La, Accra.

Daniel McKorley, populary known as ‘McDan’ said, “I don’t think this current government is targeting to collapse businesses. We have to [develop] the Trade Fair. If you pick me as a leader, it has to be built irrespective of whatever.”

He told host of Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Daniel Dadzie, Tuesday that having the opportunity to redevelop the Trade Fair as both a board chair and a “son of the soil” will give back to the community he comes from.

The business magnate said as a La native “if the trade fair is built, just imagine how many jobs will be created in that environment.”

On Sunday, the GTFCL conducted a demolition exercise of business properties on the site to prepare for a redevelopment project.

One of the affected businesses belonged to former journalist Raymond Archer who owned a printing press on the Trade Fair premises.

The affected tenants of the demolition process, including Mr Archer’s, had previously taken the matter to court after being informed by the GTFCL of an upcoming redevelopment project the Trade Fair site will undergo.

Former News Editor of the Enquirer newspaper, Raymond Archer’s printing press after the demolition exercise

The court ordered an injunction preventing GFTCL from continuing the exercise which started in May 2019.

GFTCL said that it had informed all tenants about the upcoming redevelopment and gave them a mandatory six-month notice on July 10, 2018, to vacate the site. The tenants whose business properties were demolished disputed this. 

The court, on the other hand, lifted the injunction granted, giving GFTCL the green light for the demolition exercise to continue.

However, Sunday’s demolition has been interpreted differently with some calling it a political witch-hunt.  

Board Chairman of the Ghana Trade Fair Company Ltd, Daniel McKorley on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show

But the founder and CEO of the McDan Group of Companies believes the management of the Trade Fair “did what they had to do,” with regards to the demolition.

“I think they went by the law and as far as I’m concerned Raymond [Archer] took the Trade Fair to court and I think the CEO acted in the best interest of the Trade Fair after court decisions,” he added.

According to him, the Trade Fair “is going to be developed by many investors. It’s open. Today you can walk in there, if you have something interesting to do, you will have a chance to do it. When you look at the master plan, it feeds all. 

We’re going to have shopping malls, banks, cocoa industry, amusement parks, apartments, the Ghana Pavillion, Ghanaian businesses.

“Raymond can walk in today and ask for space within the masterplan and he’ll be given a space. So I don’t understand why there should be any fight,” the business magnate said.