The Paramount Chief of the Osu Traditional Council, Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI, has lamented the quality of infrastructure in coastal towns in the Greater Accra Region, hence the need for the Marine Drive project meant to gentrify the coastal line.

The Osu Mantse is of the view that the Marine Drive project will bring massive development and transform the outlook of coastal communities while ensuring that residents gain meaningful employment.

“The Marine Drive project is to transform the coastal line because when you go outside the country, the coastal line is the most expensive place to live, but when you come down to Ghana it is the worst place. So the project is to transform the coastal line into a downtown city and it is doable,” the Osu Mantse told Moro Awudu on Class FM’s Executive Breakfast Show on Wednesday, June 7.

Over 200 acres of the coastline from Osu to Jamestown in Greater Accra have been earmarked to be developed under the project. The project is expected to have tourist resorts with facilities such as hotels, casinos, shopping malls, offices, and theme parks, among others.

The project is expected to transform Accra into a world-class tourism centre with more than 1,000 job opportunities for the youth in the area.

The President of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs explained that residents will not be short-changed as leaders will ensure that indigenes reap maximum benefit.

He revealed: “The land is currently being serviced and places are being cleared for buildings to be constructed,” emphasising: “We are not directly involved in granting of leases to the investors as the Ministry is taking charge of that.”

For him, custodians of the land are deeply involved in negotiations and an agreement has been reached which will ensure that reasonable compensation is given to the towns whose lands will be used for the project.

“We have to put in a claim for compensation and we have done the valuation reports and submitted to the Lands Commission and the ministry for compensations to be paid,” he emphasised.