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Court declares Odai Ntow family rightful owners of South West Kwabenya lands
An Accra High Court has entered judgement in favour of the Odai Ntow family over the South West Kwabenya lands in Accra.
According to the court, the Odai Ntow family are the rightful owners of the South West Kwabenya lands.
In a suit filed by Offei Kwaku Mante and substituted by Reverend Alexander Aryeequaye and Nii Amu Mante against the defendants, the plaintiffs in an amended statement of claims indicated that they were rather the rightful owners of the disputed land and had exercised ownership rights over them for many years.
The case of the plaintiff is that he is the head and lawful representative of the Nii Appenteng family of Pokuase-Otublohum, and that his ancestor, Nii Kofi Appenteng, a warrior, hunter and a member of the Akwamu tribe together with his children settled at Pokuase around 1934 where he was granted a parcel of land measuring 416.88 acres upon which he built cottages and carried out his farming and hunting activities.
According to the Plaintiff, his ancestor named the area “Ambuanda,” adding that having been in effective possession and exercising overt acts of ownership, the Appenteng family in 1960 caused the land to be surveyed and in 1990, the family made a statutory declaration, declaring the Appenteng family as owners of the Ambuanda lands and registered as Land Registry number 969/1993.
This, the plaintiffs said, was the state of affairs until the defendants (Odai Ntow family) started committing trespass on the said land in dispute.
However, according to the first and fifth defendant’s family, represented by Moses Musah, they were in possession of their lands without any challenge until 1904 when a dispute arose over the land.
The presiding judge, Mr. Justice Emmanuel Amo Yartey in his ruling said the plaintiffs failed to provide enough proof of the acquisition of the land, adding that ” throughout the case, the plaintiff’s family claimed that the land in dispute was granted them by elders of Pokuase but the law is that the proper person to prove the title of a grantee is the grantor, however surprisingly, the plaintiffs failed to call any member of the said family in proof of their acquisition of their land.”
“The failure to call such material witnesses is clearly fatal to their case so per the totality of evidence led, it is my candid opinion that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate that they are entitled to the reliefs they are seeking.
“They failed to identify boundaries of their land and also call material witnesses.”
All reliefs sought by the defendant, including an amount of GHC50,000.00 as damages, were granted by the court.
The Judge again ordered the Lands Commission to bring the judgement of the court to the notice of the affected persons for them to regularise their stay on the land with the defendants.
“Should the affected persons fail to atone tenancy, the defendants are at liberty to recover the said land,” Justice Amo Yartey added.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah.
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Prof. Mike Oquaye accuses gov’t of ‘secret trial’ of Chief Justice
Former Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, has criticised the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) over what he described as the mishandling of the suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo.
He is unhappy with the constitutional provision requiring the hearing of the Chief Justice’s case to be held in-camera.
“I am concerned about certain issues that I consider vital, particularly the trial in-camera provision. You will ask yourself what the rationale is for that provision in our constitution, what is its purpose, and if we are to give it a purposeful interpretation, where shall we go? The purpose is it to benefit the people of Ghana as a whole, that the Chief Justice must be trial in-camera…”
He added, “From the very beginning, the constitution tells us justice belongs to the people, it emanates from the people, justice belongs to all of us people, one may say that this provision could be advarance to the one that says trial must be done in-camera.” he said in an exclusive interview with JoyNews.
Prof. Oquaye also raised concerns about the transparency and integrity of the process.
He argued that the judiciary must be insulated from political interference, adding that the current handling of the matter risks eroding confidence in the rule of law.
The Chief Justice was recently suspended following allegations of misconduct, after which a formal petition was submitted to President John Mahama, prompting the formation of a committee to investigate the matter.
The proceedings, however, have largely been conducted in-camera, drawing criticism from sections of the public and some legal minds.
While the NDC government maintains that the suspension was carried out in accordance with constitutional provisions, Prof. Quaye argues that the secrecy surrounding the process undermines the principles of accountability and due process.
Source:Myjoyonline.com
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Committee on Roads and Transport engages Transport Ministry
The Parliamentary Select Committee on Roads and Transport has paid a familiarization visit to the Ministry of Transport and its agencies to perform its legislative oversight and foster collaboration in Ghana’s transport sector.
The visit by the 17-member Committee led by its Chairman, Isaac Adjei Mensah, who is also the Member of Parliament for the Wassa East Constituency in the Western Region, was aimed at getting updates on ongoing projects and foster direct dialogue with agencies under the Ministry’s purview.
The Chairman of the committee described the visit as “a strategic and symbolic gesture” and emphasized the importance of direct engagement with sector leadership to enable informed legislative support.
The Transport Minister Joseph Bukari Nikpe outlined some reforms including a framework to regularize commercial motorcycle operators, popularly known as Okada by lowering the minimum rider age from 25 years to 21 years, which is near completion and will soon be presented to Parliament.
He also mentioned the reviving of Ghana’s national carrier via a public-private partnership, upgrading airport infrastructure, studying coastal routes to ease road congestion, opening a new DVLA branch in Adenta, and upgrading the Ghana Civil Aviation Training Academy.
The minister also disclosed that the ministry is in the process of procuring new buses for Metro Mass and STC.
The other Members of the visiting Committee were Chiwitey Dari Andrew, Vice Chairperson and MP for Sawla/Tuna/Kalba; Osei Nyarko Kennedy, MP for Akim Swedru and the Ranking Member; Francis Asenso-Boakye, MP for Bantama; Frimpong Kwame Ohene, MP for Asante Akim North; Cudjoe Doyoe Comfort, Ada MP; Marfo Ahenkorah Kofi, MP for Achiase; Mahama Toure Naser, Ayawaso East MP; Ziedeng Anwataazumo Bede, MP for Lawra and Mubarak Seid, MP for Sunyani East.
The Committee also visited the Civil Aviation Authority and the Civil Aviation Training Centre to be acquainted with its functions and operations.
