‘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 criticised the response of the Member of Parliament (MP) for La Dade-Kotopon, Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, over the demolition of structures at the Labadi beachfront.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, October 3, Mr Bentil questioned how the MP, 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 argued that the MP should have been aware of developments within her constituency, particularly given her additional responsibilities at the Ministry of Local Government.

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

Mr Bentil said the circumstances raised questions about whether there had been a failure to act or whether the MP had not adequately performed her responsibilities.

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

He expressed concern that both a senior government official and the MP representing the affected area could claim not to have known about an issue of such significance.

“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 said.

Mr Bentil also questioned who ultimately authorised or was responsible for decisions affecting the Labadi area.

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

He said he was not convinced that President John Mahama personally authorised the demolition, arguing that he did not associate the action with the President’s known approach.

“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 further questioned the basis for extending a dispute involving the Labadi Polo Club to the wider Labadi beachfront.

According to him, the dispute, as he understood it, was between two parties and should not have resulted in actions affecting businesses and livelihoods across the broader Labadi 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?”

He noted that Labadi Beach had existed as a tourist destination long before the establishment of Labadi Pleasure Beach.

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

Mr Bentil therefore questioned how a dispute over what he described as a relatively small parcel 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.