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

Kofi Bentil, a lawyer and senior vice president of IMANI Africa, has raised doubts about the reaction of La Dade-Kotopon MP Rita Naa Odoley Sowah to the demolition of structures at La Pleasure Beach. On JoyNews’ Newsfile, Mr Bentil expressed his difficulty in comprehending how the MP, who also serves as a Deputy Minister of Local Government, could claim to be unaware of an issue impacting around 5,000 people in her constituency.

"The MP’s tears are crocodile tears," Mr Bentil remarked. He questioned whether the MP's lack of knowledge about the situation was a result of incompetence or criminal negligence. Mr Bentil highlighted the need for a senior government figure to be aware of such significant matters. He expressed concern over the MP's claim of ignorance, stating that it raised serious questions about the management of the area.

"If you are a Deputy Minister of Local Government and the MP of the area, and something like this affects 5,000 of your people, and you don’t know, something terrible is happening," he emphasized. The lawyer also questioned who was responsible for decisions affecting the Labadi area, suggesting that there was a lack of clarity regarding who held authority.

Mr Bentil did not believe that President John Mahama had directly authorized the demolition, pointing to discrepancies that seemed to contradict the President's character. "There were rumors 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."

He also criticized the extension of the dispute involving La Pleasure Beach's Polo Club to the broader Labadi beachfront. Mr Bentil explained that the dispute was between two parties, Labadi Hotel and the owners of the Polo Club, and did not justify actions affecting the entire beachfront. "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 noted.

"How does that stretch to the rest of the Labadi Beach?" He questioned how a small land dispute could lead to the destruction of businesses and livelihoods for thousands of people in the area.