Operatives of Ghana’s National Security, supported by armed personnel on Monday evening moved to demolish structures belonging to the McDan Group near the Action Chapel area, close to the Kotoka International Airport, without a Court Order.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as tense and forceful, with bulldozers razing the structures believed to be part of a contested parcel of land at the centre of a drawn-out dispute between McDan Company Limited and the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL).
The move comes on the back of simmering litigation, allegations of financial impropriety, and regulatory tension between the parties involved.
Land Dispute and GACL Claims
The Ghana Airports Company Limited, in a December 31, 2024, statement, clarified that lands acquired by McDan from GACL as far back as 2015 had been developed into commercial properties, from which McDan was benefiting through rental income.
However, GACL accused the company of failing to honour its financial obligations, including ground rent payments, over the past four years.
GACL revealed that despite McDan’s claims that the land was under litigation and therefore exempt from immediate financial responsibility, the company had proceeded to build and profit from structures on the land.
“McDan Company Limited has developed the same lands with commercial buildings and is benefiting from rental proceeds…without paying ground rent,” the statement read.
The Airports Company also revealed that McDan defaulted on a proposed payment plan initially submitted in 2020, which was later rejected.
GACL has insisted on full payment of the arrears and said similar actions were taken against four other companies at the Kotoka International Airport over debt non-payment.
Debt Figures and Counterclaims
As of December 2024, McDan Company Limited had reportedly made a partial payment of GH¢2 million toward an outstanding balance of over $3.99 million and GH¢13,000 owed to GACL.
This followed the closure of the company’s private jet terminal by airport authorities, which sparked controversy.
In response, McDan Aviation contested the debt claims.
Speaking in an interview, Kweku Ampromfi, CEO of McDan Aviation, asserted that the company only owed $2 million, and that a significant portion of the supposed debt was related to the disputed land near Action Chapel.
He emphasized that since the land’s ownership was under litigation—due to a third-party claimant who also secured documentation from the Lands Commission—payments should be suspended pending legal resolution.
“We do not owe $3 million. There are three issues we are discussing with GACL… The majority of the debt stems from the land, which is under litigation,” Ampromfi stated.
Political Undertones and Fallout
Sources within the political corridors suggest that the latest demolishing exercise could be politically motivated, occurring shortly after the National Democratic Congress (NDC) took power in January 2025.
Critics argue that the state’s actions may be part of a broader campaign to clamp down on businesses perceived to be aligned with the previous administration.
