The Original Embossment and Manufacturing Company Ltd has clarified that the CMB Abuja Market landis public property, not private land, as some recent reports have suggested.
The land is owned by the Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA) under the Ministry of Transport.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Friday, September 19, company spokesperson Mr. Alex Tettehexplained that the GRDA, as the legal custodian of the land, has lawfully leased portions to various institutions and private entities — including Original Embossment — in accordance with government regulations.
Mr. Tetteh referenced the Parliamentary Hansard dated July 1, 2021, where the then Minister for Railway Development, John Peter Amewu, responded to a question from Hon. Zanetor Rawlings by listing the recognized leaseholders.
These include: Ghana Cocoa Board, National Investment Bank, GPRTU, Wood Merchant and Trading Company, Pioneer Merchant, J.A. Lord Care Enterprise, First Eye Limited,
Geofort Enterprise, Conna Bless Enterprise, and Original Embossment.
He noted that these leases are legally binding and publicly verifiable.
Mr. Tetteh, however, expressed concern over recent statements by Hon. Zanetor Rawlings, who alleged that the land had been leased to a single company for residential development.
He said this claim contradicts official parliamentary records and misrepresents the situation on the ground.
In addressing the ongoing protest by traders at the market, Mr. Tetteh revealed that it was the traders themselves who initially reported the matter to the police, after Original Embossment began lawful development on its leased portion of the land.
He explained that when both parties were invited by the Accra Regional Police Headquarters to present ownership documents, only Original Embossment complied.
The traders, according to him, failed to provide proof of ownership and withdrew from the process altogether.
“If they truly had a legitimate claim, why abandon the official process they initiated?” Mr. Tetteh asked.
He further disclosed that, following the incident, leaders of the protesting traders met with the company’s management and legal counsel, Prof. Kwame Gyan, and offered an apology for their earlier actions.
Mr. Tetteh said Original Embossment offered to construct modern retail spaces for affected traders once development is completed — to demonstrate that progress need not come at the expense of livelihoods.
He clarified that the traders had been temporary occupants who once paid ground rent a practice that was discontinued in 2017
and therefore hold no legal title to the land.
According to Mr. Tetteh, the leaseholders, including Original Embossment, have secured all necessary permits and approvals from relevant authorities, including the Lands Commission, GRDA, and the Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly.
He criticized ongoing attempts to portray legally compliant developers as land grabbers, describing such narratives as misleading and harmful to public confidence in land governance.
Mr. Tetteh concluded by urging the media and the general public to rise above sensationalism and instead uphold the rule of law.
“This is not a struggle between the rich and the poor,” he said. “It is a matter of lawful ownership versus unlawful encroachment and the facts are clearly documented.”
By Sampson Kumah Ifeetwube Elvis
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