A prominent member of the La community in Accra Professor Ablade Glover has made it clear to government that it will be calling for a violent confrontation if it does not put a stop to the development of the La Wireless lands into residential places.
Prof Glover, who is also chairman of the La Dadekotopon Reconciliation Committee, warned that if the developments continue, they will forcibly pull down all the structures being constructed even at the peril of their lives.
“We are demanding our property. This kind of acquisition which turns into stealing for others must stop. It must stop; that is what we are demanding. If this thing doesn’t stop, we are going to enter this place by force even if it means we all perish. It’s a better that way,” he warned.
Unhappy with what he describes as the diplomatic language been used to inform government about their anger over the developments, Professor Glover said the development of the area without authorization is disrespectful to the chiefs and people of the area.
The land in question is located in the Cantonments area and is been developed by some private developers as accommodation for visiting heads of state to next year’s golden jubilee celebrations. Already leased to government for a wireless station, government contrary to the laws is intending to use the land for a purpose other than which it was acquired for.
The chiefs are also not happy because the lease on the lands are about to expire are unhappy that it will become the property of whoever buys the property later.
Speaking shortly after the La Mantse, Nii Kpodi Tettey Tsuru had made some statement on the issue, Professor Glover told journalists that they have no reason to go begging the government.
“Nii is being very nice, very diplomatic as an elder of state. But we are not appealing to anybody; we are demanding the return of our land. You see, look at the town, we have been hemmed in, we are only left to enter into the sea.”
Citing several examples of construction projects currently ongoing in the Cantonments and Labone areas in addition to the cable and wireless land, Professor Glover lamented at the subtle attempt to sideline the chiefs, elders and people of La.
“If you go to Cantonments and Labone, they are clearing some of the bungalows to build a plaza; for whom and to whom, we don’t know. And the sad part of the whole thing is that there is no respect in this thing. Nobody has come to the council to even request that we want to do such a thing. But they just enter and then do it. They are taking the La people including our king for a ride.”
During a visit to the project site, the chiefs and people of the area expressed their fury over what they call the illegal occupation of their land. According to them, the cable and wireless land is the only remaining property of the La stool and are not ready to see them “stolen” from them.
The soft-spoken La Mantse told the press that “that is La people want land on which to build our houses. And if this land is available, they want the land. So our people are appealing to the government that if this land is available, give the land back to us and let us build our houses on. Governments both past and present have taken a lot of our lands…we are appealing to this government for a redress.”
The Member of Parliament for La Dadekotopon Nii Amasa Namoaley told the dailyEXPRESS that the people of La do not need any court injunction to stop work on the land. According to him, the property belongs to the people and they have the right to eject any illegal occupants on their property.
The heads of state housing project started without the blessing of the chiefs who own the land. At a subsequent meeting with the Chief of staff, the council is said to have complained and expressed its disapproval of the project insisting that the intended purpose for which the land was leased is not housing.
Government and the Ghana@50 secretariat acknowledged the difficulty of the chiefs in relation to the project and other La acquired lands, apologising for the earlier mix up that did not make it possible for the traditional council to be involved in the performance of any rights if necessary before the start of the project.
“The chairman also wants me to convey his personal regret and that of the officials of the secretariat for any acts of omission which may have breached the customary practices and norms of the elders and people of La” said a letter from the Ghana@50 secretariat and dated September 13, 2006.
The secretariat also assured the council of government’s preparedness to assist in the performance of “whatever rights are deemed necessary to give a fit and proper blessing to the project.”
