LA, Teshie Youth On Collision Course

Truckloads of redband-wearing and machete-wielding youth from Teshie last week Monday descended on poor farmers, mostly the aged and middle-aged men and women threatening fire and brimstone if the farmers dared them.

The terrified farmers who claimed they have been farming in the area beside Burma Camp and behind La Trade Fair since generations, later in the day made a report to the La Traditional Council and leaders of the local youth organization, the Labone Youth Association (LAYA).

The farmlands, located behind the La Trade Fair and areas adjoining Burma Camp and the Teshie Military base, have been a source of contention between developers and farmers on the one hand and the Teshie and La people on the other.

Efforts by both La and Teshie Traditional Councils to solve the impasse over the years yielded very little result as smart men and women lay claim to the land and parcel them out with impunity.

Chronicle visit to the site of the confrontation witnessed a massive degradation of the land in the area covering over 50 acres with tipper trucks as youth with pick-axes and shovels were getting ready to win sand.

The chief farmer of La told the Chronicle that in the last two years, the farmers lodged several formal complaints with the Military Police, who took some punitive action involving fines on the sand winners, but the recalcitrant contractors just would not budge.

A report made officially to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also yielded very little results except that the poor farmers were told they had every right to use all available legal means to defend their lands and property.

At the time of writing this story, angry youth of La were being mobilized left and right to march to the farmlands in anticipation of attacks on the okro and tomato farmers.

Vehicles engaged in the sandwinning exercise include a Leyland GT 7869 H, Man Diesel GR 8711 P, Magirus Deutz GT 5427 F, Toyota GR 6904 M and another Toyota GR 3814 C.

The La Police have confirmed the story, but stated that it was time for the law to take its full course if negotiations have failed.