Horse owners, trainers and jockeys have renewed calls for government intervention following the demolition of facilities at the Accra Racecourse at Borteyman, warning that the destruction has left horses without proper stables and put their handlers at risk.
The group made the appeal on Tuesday after embarking on a second peaceful protest march through Borteyman to draw attention to the demolition and what they described as the forceful takeover of the racecourse.
The protesters later held a press conference at the Borteyman Sports Complex, where representatives of the horse racing community called for the land and facilities to be restored.
Samuel Young Acheampong, a representative of the jockeys, appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to intervene, stressing that horse racing has been part of Ghana’s sporting heritage since 1923 and provides livelihoods for horse owners, trainers, jockeys and other people in the industry.
“We want our land back and for the right thing to be done,” he said.
He questioned why Clement Dzato and his associates allegedly carried out the demolition without prior notice, insisting that the matter required urgent government attention.
According to the protesters, the Accra Turf Club was previously allocated the Borteyman land after its former location at the site of the current Kempinski Hotel was taken over for the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Conference in Accra.
They said the club was subsequently moved to Fadama, where the land was allegedly encroached upon, before being allocated the Borteyman site.
Murtala Alhassan Veron, a member of the Accra Turf Club and treasurer of the Accra Horse Owners Association, said Tuesday’s demonstration was intended to register their displeasure over what he described as the unlawful demolition of their property.
“Our message is simple. We are here to protest the unlawful demolition of our land. These horses are supposed to be in stables, but because the stables have been demolished, they are now on the streets,” he said.
Mr Veron said the situation had exposed the horses and their handlers to significant danger, citing previous incidents in which horses had allegedly been knocked down by vehicles.
“Since 2008, we have lost many horses on the streets after they were hit by cars. We are young people, and this is our livelihood. We have already lost enough, and we are appealing to the government to come to our aid,” he added.
He also called for investigations into the circumstances surrounding the demolition and appealed to the government to assist in rebuilding the stables and race tracks.
“We want the government to help rebuild our stables and tracks because the demolition has caused serious damage to our businesses and families,” he said.
Other horse owners, including Edmund Kwei Charway, said the demolition had adversely affected their investments and livelihoods, particularly those who had built businesses around horse ownership and racing.
The protesters are therefore calling on the government to intensify efforts to reclaim and restore the Accra Racecourse and allow horse racing activities to resume at the Borteyman facility.
