RE ACCRA INDUSTRIAL ESTATE ACQUISITION; ANKRAH AND OTHERS vs. BOTOKU AND OTHERS

JUDGMENT OF APALOO J.S.C. Apaloo J.S.C. delivered the judgment of the court. Some time in 1952, the Government of Ghana were minded of acquiring under the Public Lands Ordinance, 1 an area of land situate at Accra and lying north of Ring Road. Accordingly, the Commissioner of Lands, acting under the direction of the Minister of Housing, published a notice of this fact in the Gazette of 12 July 1952. The notice states that the land “is required for the service of the Colony and Ashanti.” It would seem however that the real object of the acquisition was to constitute the area into an industrial estate. The said notice invited persons having any claims or interests in the land to send particulars of these to the Commissioner of Lands who expressed himself as willing to treat for the purchase of the land on behalf of the Governor. Following upon this, a bailiff attached to the Magistrate’s Court, Accra, was entrusted with the notices of acquisition and was instructed to post these u...