MATHIAS KOFI BOATENG vs. ATTORNEY GENERAL, LANDS COMMISSION AND OFFICE OF THE ADMINISTRATOR OF STOOL LANDS [2017]DLSC5345

MATHIAS KOFI BOATENG vs. ATTORNEY GENERAL, LANDS COMMISSION AND OFFICE OF THE AD... [2017]DLSC5345

Date	2017-11-08
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J1/28/2015
Citation No.	[2017]DLSC5345

DOTSE JSC PRESIDING

YEBOAH JSC

BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC

GBADEGBE JSC

AKOTO-BAMFO (MRS) JSC

BENIN JSC

PWAMANG JSC

ABDUL BAASIT AZIZ BAMBA FOR THE PLAINTIFF. DOROTHY AFRIYIE ANSAH

CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY FOR THE 1ST AND 3RD DEFENDANTS. KWAME POKU-BOAH FOR THE 2ND DEFENDANT

KWAME POKU-BOAH FOR THE 2ND DEFENDANT.

[2017]DLSC5345
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >MATHIAS KOFI
BOATENG<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>ATTORNEY
GENERAL, LANDS COMMISSION AND OFFICE OF THE ADMINISTRATOR OF STOOL LANDS<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[SUPREME COURT, 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. J1/28/2015&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: 8TH
NOVEMBER, 2017<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>ABDUL
BAASIT AZIZ BAMBA FOR THE PLAINTIFF.<o:p></o:p>DOROTHY
AFRIYIE ANSAH, CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY FOR THE 1ST AND 3RD
DEFENDANTS.<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">

KWAME
POKU-BOAH FOR THE 2ND DEFENDANT.<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">

DOTSE,
JSC PRESIDING YEBOAH, JSC BAFFOE-BONNIE, JSC GBADEGBE, JSC AKOTO-BAMFO (MRS),
JSC BENIN, JSC AND PWAMANG, JSC<o:p></o:p>

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

JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>BENIN, JSC: -<o:p></o:p>The
facts as neatly set out by the 1st and 3rd defendants in
their statement of case are as follows. By the State Lands (Barekese – Site for
Dam and its Catchment Area) for Ghana Water Company Limited- Instrument 2001,
EI 23, the Government of Ghana acquired 9,669.47 acres of land situate at
Barekese in the Ashanti Region on behalf of the Ghana Water Company Ltd. The land
covered about twelve stool lands. Subsequently, the 2nd defendant
sought advice from the 1st defendant by a letter dated 1st
April 2008 as to who was to be paid compensation from the compulsorily acquired
land. That is whether the compensation payable should be made under article 267
into the Stool Lands Account or to be paid directly to the stools concerned.
The 1st defendant, in a letter dated 11th April 2008
advised that article 267(2) of the 1992 Constitution did not apply to
compensation for stool lands compulsorily acquired by the State. The reason
that was given was that acquisition of land made under the State Lands Act,
1962 (Act 125) as amended, fell under article 20(2) of the Constitution, thus
it was to be paid directly to the stools as owners of the stool land. It is
this advice that the Plaintiff claims to be fundamentally at odds with the
clear meaning of “revenue or other payments whether in the nature of income or
capital from stool lands” as provided by article 267(2) of the 1992 Constitution.<o:p></o:p>Consequently,
the Plaintiff has invoked the exclusive original jurisdiction of the Supreme
Court pursuant to articles 2(1) and 130(1) of the 1992 Constitution, seeking
the following reliefs:-<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Estrangelo Edessa&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Estrangelo Edessa&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Estrangelo Edessa&quot;">(i)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A
declaration that to the extent that section 19(1) of the Administration of
Lands Act, 1962 (Act 123) empowers the Minister to direct or order the payment
of moneys from stool land accounts to local authorities, the said section is
inconsistent with Article 267 (6) of the 1992 Constitution and to the extent of
the inconsistency, null and void.<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Estrangelo Edessa&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Estrangelo Edessa&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Estrangelo Edessa&quot;">(ii)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A
declaration that on a true and proper interpretation of Article 267(2) of the
1992 Constitution the expression “revenue or other payments whether in the
nature of income or capital from stool lands” covers compensation payable by
the Government of Ghana for the compulsory acquisition of property interests in
stool lands.<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Estrangelo Edessa&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Estrangelo Edessa&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Estrangelo Edessa&quot;">(iii)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A
declaration that the payment of compensation for the compulsory acquisition of
property interests in stool lands vested in stools directly to the affected
stools instead of the Office of Administrator of Stool Lands to be disbursed in
the manner prescribed by article 267(6) of the 1992 Constitution is
unconstitutional, null and void.<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Estrangelo Edessa&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Estrangelo Edessa&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Estrangelo Edessa&quot;">(iv)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&</main>