A group calling itself the Coalition of La Youth Association (COLA) has claimed possession of a piece of land within the La community that was occupied by military and the Government of Ghana.

The group massed up on the piece of land, with the “blessing” of their chiefs to take possession of their lands.

According to them, the military personnel were selling portions of the land to private developers.

It will be recalled that the group threatened to take matters in their own hands should the military continue to occupy the said disputed lands after series of demonstrations.

The Secretary and Spokesperson for COLA, Mr Jeffrey Addokwei Tetteh explained to Class News that even though a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) could not be signed between the government through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the La chiefs, President Akufo-Addo promised to give them back their land.

Mr Tetteh therefore noted that the group has the right to prevent the Military from encroaching the land, pending the signing of the MoU to formalise it.

He said: “We've been waiting until quite recently we noticed that the Military has actually stepped onto the land again and they were grading the place with their bulldozers. So we wrote to the minister and told him that the people of La are ready to take possession of their land pending the signing of the document and so our chiefs gave us their blessing.

“The Ministry hasn't said anything and we believe that silence means consent. That is why in conjunction with our chiefs we have come here today to take possession of the land,” Mr Tetteh added.

He continued: “So if you see the people of La here today we are actually here to actually make good the promise that the president made to us.”

The group also indicated that in appreciation of President Akufo-Addo’s intervention, they have mounted a ‘Thank you’ signage on the piece of land.