GHALIB KWAME SANGARI vs. OCTAVIA OKU, STATE HOUSING COMPANY LTD. AND THE CHIEF REGISTRAR OF LANDS, [2014]DLCA2797

GHALIB KWAME SANGARI vs. OCTAVIA OKU, STATE HOUSING COMPANY LTD. AND THE CHIEF R... [2014]DLCA2797

Date	2014-06-19
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. H1/160/2013
Citation No.	[2014]DLCA2797

KUSI-APPIAH J.A. (PRESIDING)

OFOE J.A.

SOWAH (MRS.) J.A.

MR. KWAKU PAINTSIL FOR PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT

MR. AMUI OKU ANNAN & ASSOC. FOR 1ST DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT MR. JOHN AIDOO FOR 2ND DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT MS. NANCY TWUMASI MENSAH FOR 3RD DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT

[2014]DLCA2797
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >GHALIB KWAME SANGARI<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>OCTAVIA OKU, STATE HOUSING
COMPANY LTD. AND THE CHIEF REGISTRAR OF LANDS,<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

CIVIL
APPEAL NO. H1/160/2013&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
DATE: 19TH JUNE, 2014<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>MR.
KWAKU PAINTSIL FOR PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>MR. AMUI OKU ANNAN &amp;
ASSOC. FOR 1ST DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>MR. JOHN AIDOO FOR 2ND
DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

MS. NANCY TWUMASI MENSAH FOR
3RD DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM: <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

</div>JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>KUSI-APPIAH,
J.A.:&nbsp; This is an appeal against
the judgment of the High Court (Fast Track Division), Accra, dated 31st
March, 2011 per S.K.A. Asiedu J., by which the learned Judge dismissed the
plaintiff’s action and decreed title in the disputed land in 1st
defendant/respondent’s favour against the plaintiff on her counterclaim.&nbsp; The trial judge then made an order of
perpetual injunction against the plaintiff, his agents, servants, privies,
assigns and all others claiming through him from interfering with or remaining
on the disputed land.&nbsp; He also directed
the plaintiff to remove whatever structure he had placed on the subject
property.&nbsp; The trial judge then awarded
damages in the sum of GH¢1,200.00 in 1st defendant’s favour against
the plaintiff.&nbsp; Finally, he awarded costs
of GH¢800.00 against the plaintiff in favour of Dan Oku, previously the 5th
defendant.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>A brief summary of the
events culminating in this appeal will certainly help us appreciate matters.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>By
an amended writ of summons, the plaintiff/appellant (hereinafter called the
Plaintiff), claims against the defendants/respondents (hereinafter called the
Defendants inter alia):<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>“1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Declaration
of title to all that piece or parcel of land more particularly described in
paragraph one of the statement of claim.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; An
order directed to the 3rd defendant to cancel the 1st
defendant’s Land Title Certificate.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Special
and general damages (to be assessed).<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The salient facts arising on
the pleadings are not complicated.&nbsp; The
plaintiff’s claim as per the accompanying statement of claim is that he is the
owner of all that piece or parcel of land with building thereon popularly known
or referred to as plot No. D.373, situate and being at Dansoman Estate, Accra
(hereinafter the disputed plot) by virtue of a Deed of Lease dated 10th
January, 2001, and made between the plaintiff herein of the one part and 2nd
defendant – State Housing Company Limited of the other part.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The plaintiff further traced
his root of title to an earlier Deed of Lease dated 2nd August, 1996
executed between the Government of the Republic of Ghana of the one part and
the 2nd defendant of the other part pursuant to the compulsory
acquisition by the Ghana Government of all that land of which the disputed land
forms a part under Executive Instrument No. E.I.27/68 of 1st March,
1968.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>It was the plaintiff’s claim
that at all material times prior to the execution of the aforesaid deed of
lease, he had been in possession of the disputed plot by virtue of a grant made
to him by the Amissah Family of Dansoman, allodial title holders of all
Dansoman Lands prior to the Government’s acquisition, and that he actually
built a two-storey building and an outhouse thereon between 1976 and 1978 after
his acquisition.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>According to the plaintiff,
he joined the 3rd defendant to the suit because his subsequent
application for the registration of his interest in the disputed plot had been
refused by the 3rd defendant with the reason that it had already
issued a Land Title </main>