Some fetish priests and priestesses of La yesterday led thousands of the natives to perform rituals, cursing some military men who allegedly demolished their beach known as Laboma Bay Resort, last Saturday.
The angry natives started pouring schnapps right from the Kpeshie lagoon through to the sea of the beach resort and other river bodies while the fetish priests and priestesses recited words said to be understood only by the spirits.
Their anger was traced to a multiple demolition including a recent one of their new beach resort which was being built to create jobs and also to generate revenue for the people of La.
The demolishing team suspected to be military men were said to have pulled down some of their structures on 3 occasions, all at dawn without prior notice or a tangible reason.
Narrating the incident to the New Crusading GUIDE Monday morning after the ‘cursing’ ceremony, a taskforce member Nii Asiboye Quarshie, popularly known as ‘Succeeder’ said they had to hide in the nearby bushes after the 3 bitter experiences to uncover who was behind the demolition.
“To our surprise, around 1:20 am, we realized it was some military men dressed in their full regalia to execute another destruction exercise at 1am”, he noted.
Numbering about 30, the military men he remembered asked everyone who went to confront them on their intended exercise to lie down while they seized their phones at gun point, a situation where many got wounded and had to be rushed to the Police hospital.
Just as the natives were about meeting to recount their losses, the military with registration number 44 GA 21, 44 GA 27 and a salon car GS-1468-13 again on Sunday stormed the beach to pull down the rest of the structures including the bar and 3 generators.
“They ransacked the place and took all the drinks we had in our stores and broke the bottles”, he continued.
Succeeder contemplated on why the natives of La would have to be subjected to such treatment when they had not violated any of the laws of Ghana.
He told this reporter that they were called on two occasions to Burma Camp to explain what they were erecting after which a strong warning from Colonel Apenkwa and Commodore Asante asked them to halt the project.
Aside the two military gurus, Succeeder believes there are other powerful hands like Dr. Eddie from the Presidency and Nana Bediako of Wonder World properties, who have both laid claims to the beach lands at the same time when chiefs of La have said strongly they have not sold the land to anyone.
The administrative manager, Jonas Nekoi on his part accused other sister beaches surrounding them to be part of those engineering the unfortunate incidence.
Daniel M.K Okpoti, a leader in the community expressed shock at what has been done, saying the community and the military all train together on the said beach.
According to him, huge structures like the airport, Lands Commission, Trade Fair Centre, Police Headquaters, Police Hospital among others are all lands belonging to La yet La is in poverty, the reason he gave for the said beach to be released by the chiefs to serve as a source of revenue to the natives.
He pointed out that they feel threatened by the actions of the military hence the libation performance. He also hinted of an underway letter to the United Nations (UN) for protection since they feel the leadership of Ghana is threatened their lives.
Mr. Okpoti later appealed to the Presidency to confer with the Military to put a stop to what they were doing since they were ready to defend the land which was supposed to be the traditional home of people of La with their blood.
When contacted, Director Public Relations for the Armed Forces, Liutenant Colonel Eric Quarshie, indicated that the area fall within a 25 meter military fire range for begibners hence could endanger the lives of those that visit the beach.
He noted that the natives do not have documentations covering the land as it forms part of military lands.
However, he said the military can permit for rituals to be performed there since they claim it is their ancestral home but pleasure would not be allowed there.
<<Print>>