The Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mark Okraku-Mantey, has expressed his disappointment over the demolition of the Fantasy Dome at the Trade Fair site.
He believes that there could have been a better way to dismantle the dome without causing damage to the structure.
In an interview with Andy Dosty on Daybreak Hitz, Okraku-Mantey expressed his dissatisfaction, stating, “I do not think that leadership gave instructions that they should do what happened. Because if you meant well, [the structure was a] prefab.
Just dismantle the man’s property. But I hear the people destroyed it. We cannot defend that one. It is unfair, it was unfair to him. If it meant well, it should have been done well.”
Despite his disappointment, Okraku-Mantey revealed that the Trade Fair does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, so punitive measures against the workers responsible for the destruction are beyond their control.
Prior to the demolition of the Fantasy Dome, Okraku-Mantey had reached out to the owner, Leslie Quaynor, to explore options for relocating the dome to another venue.
However, due to the size of the Dome, it was challenging to find a suitable location, with the National Museum being too small to accommodate it.
The demolition of the Fantasy Dome took place on Saturday, March 16, 2024, after the Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited issued several notices to vacate the leased premises for a redevelopment project.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Trade Fair, Dr. Agnes Adu, explained that all previous tenants, including the owners of the Fantasy Dome, had been given notice to move to allow for ongoing redevelopment of the Trade Fair Centre.
Despite efforts to prevent the demolition, Leslie Quaynor revealed that his lease had ended, and the process to relocate the dome was underway. He sought legal recourse to delay the demolition but was unsuccessful in halting the process.
