Original Embossment and Manufacturing Company Ltd, has clarified that the CMB Abuja Market land is not a private property but rather public land owned by the Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA) under the Ministry of Transport.
At a press conference in Accra, Mr Alex Kweku Tetteh, spokesperson for Original Embossment and Manufacturing Company Ltd, said GRDA as the legal custodian has lawfully leased portions of the land to multiple institutions and private entities, including Original Embossment, in line with government regulations.
He cited the Parliamentary Hansard from July 1, 2021, where then Railway Minister, John Peter Amewu, listed official leaseholders in response to a question from MP Dr. Zanetor Rawlings.
Among them are the Ghana Cocoa Board, National Investment Bank, GPRTU, and several private companies, including Original Embossment.
Mr. Tetteh expressed concern over recent comments by Dr. Zanetor Rawlings, who claimed the land had been leased to a single company for residential use.
He said that assertion directly contradicts the official parliamentary record.
He also revealed that the protesting traders themselves first reported the matter to police when Original Embossment began lawful development on its allocated portion.
But when both sides were asked to present documentation, only Original Embossment complied. The traders, he said, failed to provide proof of ownership and withdrew from the process.
Mr. Tetteh questioned why the traders would abandon due process if they had legitimate claims.
He noted that in a later meeting, the protest leaders apologized to the company. In response, Original Embossment offered to build modern retail spaces for displaced traders after development, an act he described as a gesture of goodwill.
He emphasized that the traders were temporary occupants who once paid ground rent until that arrangement ended in 2017. He stressed that the current leaseholders have all the necessary permits, and that portraying them as land grabbers is not only inaccurate but dangerous for public trust in land governance.
Mr. Tetteh called on the media and the public to resist sensational narratives, and instead uphold the facts.
