Government urged to resolve La land encroachment impasse

The Coalition of La Association on Monday called on government to urgently intervene on the encroachment of La lands by the Ghana Armed Forces to avert any unforeseen situation.

The Coalition said the late La Mantse petitioned President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on December, 2017 on the encroachment of La lands, but had not received any feedback, saying ‘justice delayed is justice denied’.

Mr Oscar Nii Odoi Glover, the President of the Coalition in a press briefing in Accra said successive governments used state and non-state actors including; diplomatic community, international financial institutions against the legitimate land owners.

He said the Ghana Armed Forces attempted to encroach on La lands in collusion with the Lands Commission for a cemetery and the erection of a statue of the late Major Adam Mahama, which were unconstitutional.

“We advised the Military not to drag the name and image of the late Major Mahama into their attempt to encroach La lands and further advised his family to decline the gesture as the motivation is dishonesty,” he added.

Mr Glover said the late Major Mahama’s statue should be mounted at Denkyira Obuasi, where he was killed and not the La land because he was not an indigene of the community.

He urged government to fully pay the compensation due the people of La on the Ghana International Trade Fair Centre Re-development project for peaceful existence.

“We have given lands to the state for national developmental purposes and will continue to do so, but we will no longer allow wanton waste or theft of our lands by any person or institution,” he said.

The Coalition is calling on the Lands Commission, the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana International Trade Fair Company to immediately halt any projects in La community for amicable settlement in the issue.