AFI DONKOR SUING AS THE CUSTOMARY SUCCESSOR OF THE LATE ELIZABETH MENSAH vs. MICHAEL APPIAH AMISSAH

JUDGMENT INTRODUCTION A famous former President of the United States of America named Franklin Delano Roosevelt was reported to have once stated that “Real estate cannot be lost or stolen, nor can it be carried away. Purchased with common sense, paid for in full, and managed with reasonable care, it is about the safest investment in the world.” The truism of this statement cannot be confined to the borders of American alone, for it also rings true in our country Ghana. Owning a piece of land carries with it its own prestige. Early on in time, a famous Chief of the then Gold Coast, Nana Sir Ofori Atta I, was also reported to have declared of land when he appeared before the West African Lands Committee in 1912 with the following majestic words: “I conceive that land belongs to a vast family of whom many are dead, a few are living and a countless few are yet unborn.” In recent times, ownership or possession of a piece of land in Ghana has become a flaunting badge of honour. I...