Drug peddlers, bandits pose threat to La fishermen

Accra, July 16, GNA - Activities of drug peddlers and bandits at the La Fishing Anchorage in Accra, has become a source of great worry and threat to the lives of fisher folks and people living around the area.

These groups have turned the fishing dock into a place of abode usually in the early hours of the day and late at night, harassing residents and stealing fish and other items belonging to the residents.

Narrating the story to the GNA on Saturday, Nii Kwaku Mensah II, Chief Fisherman in La said: "These bandits often smoke "wee" (marijuana) and cause nuisance at the beach.

According to him, there had been reports of cases where they had broken into homes and made away with quantities of fish and other valuable items. Besides, he said, "People have often believed that the filth and unhygienic condition at the beaches is the work of we fisher folks but the truth is that these groups of people from far away places come to cause such mess.

They come here sit, smoke their 'wee' and defecate around the area, but our greatest worry is the threat they are posing to our lives and property," he said.

The Chief Fisherman appealed to the police and the city authorities to come to their aid and arrest these people so as to make the life of the fisherman safe and make the fishing job a lucrative activity in La. Nii Mensah II exposed these problems when Nii Amasah Namoale, Member of Parliament for Dadekotopon commissioned a 15 million-cedi bathhouse for use by the community near the fishing dock.

Nii Namoale assured the fishermen that he would take up the matter with the La District Police and the city authorities to get rid of those miscreants in the area.

He said the need to keep the beaches clean and safe in the interest of tourism development in La, ranked high on the development agenda of the constituency and would therefore not look on unconcerned for such activities to continue.

On people usually found defecating along the beaches, Nii Namoale said he would urged the city authority to constantly patrol the area and arrest any one found committing such offence.

He said his outfit was currently discussing with a private entrepreneur to supply mobile toilet facilities in La at vantage points including the beach areas at reasonable charges.

The MP described as unfortunate the situation where most houses in La were built without due regard to the provision of sanitary facilities forcing most residents over the years to use the beaches as places of convenience. "But we need to put an end to this practice because it is retarding our progress as a people.

It doesn't speak well of us and I urged the AMA to enforce its bylaws on the need for people build houses with toilets," he stressed.