‘The MP’s tears are crocodile tears’ – Kofi Bentil on La Pleasure Beach demolition

Lawyer and Senior Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has questioned the response of the Member of Parliament for the La Dade-Kotopon constituency to the demolition of structures at the Labadi beachfront, saying her position raises serious questions about how the area is being managed.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, October 3, Mr Bentil said he found it difficult to understand how the MP, Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, who also serves as a Deputy Minister of Local Government, could claim not to have known about an issue reportedly affecting the livelihoods of about 5,000 people in her constituency.

“The MP’s tears are crocodile tears,” Mr Bentil said.

He said that the MP should have been aware of developments in her constituency, particularly given her position within the Local Government Ministry.

“She’s supposed to be in the Local Government Ministry. How do you not know?” he asked.

Mr Bentil said the situation raised questions about either the MP’s competence or whether there had been a serious failure to act.

“It’s either incompetence or criminal negligence,” he said.

Read also: ‘Government has no knowledge’ – La MP questions Labadi Beach demolition

Mr Bentil said he was particularly concerned that a senior government official and the MP for the area could both claim not to have known about an issue of such significance.

“I think that’s possible. Well, that’s the point I’m making,” he said.

“The point I’m making is that if you are a Deputy Minister of Local Government, you are the MP of the area, and something like this affecting 5,000 reportedly of your people, and you don’t know, something terrible is happening.”

He questioned who was ultimately responsible for decisions affecting the Labadi area, saying the circumstances had led to wider speculation about who was exercising authority.

“My problem is, who is running this town?” he asked.

Mr Bentil said he was not convinced that President John Mahama had personally authorised the demolition, pointing to what he described as a disconnect between the action and the President’s character.

“There were rumours that, oh, it’s not the President who’s running the country, and so other people are running the country,” he said.

“And I say that with due respect to the President, because I don’t see President Mahama’s character in this thing.”

“I don’t see President Mahama authorising this,” he added.

Mr Bentil also challenged the basis for extending a dispute involving the Labadi area’s Polo Club to the wider Labadi beachfront.

He said the dispute, as he understood it, was between two parties and questioned how that could justify action affecting a much larger area.

“We were aware, everybody was aware, that the Polo Club issue had to do with a dispute between two parties, Labadi Hotel and the owners of Polo Club, period,” he said.

“How does that stretch to the rest of the Labadi Beach?”

“Labadi Beach as a tourist enclave, a place, was there years before Labadi Pleasure Beach was built.”

He therefore questioned how a dispute over what he described as a small piece of land could result in the destruction of businesses and livelihoods across the wider area.

“So how does the dispute between two parties over a small piece of land stretch to destroying the livelihoods of 5,000 people?” he asked.