DAKPEM ZOBOGU-NAA HENRY A. KALEEM vs. LANDS COMMISSION, ATTORNEY GENERAL AND DAKPEMA ALHASSAN MOHAMMED DAWUNI [2019]DLCA6316

DAKPEM ZOBOGU-NAA HENRY A. KALEEM vs. LANDS COMMISSION, ATTORNEY GENERAL AND DA... [2019]DLCA6316

Date	2019-02-22
Suit No.	SUIT NO: H1/5/2017
Citation No.	[2019]DLCA6316

OFOE J.A. (PRESIDING)

TORKORNOO (MRS) J. A.

NICHOLAS J.A.

COUNSEL FOR 1ST DEFENDANT/APPELLANT: JONATHAN S. LARI

COUNSEL FOR PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT: MOHAMMED MUSAH

[2019]DLCA6316
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >DAKPEM ZOBOGU-NAA HENRY A. KALEEM<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>LANDS COMMISSION, ATTORNEY GENERAL AND DAKPEMA ALHASSAN MOHAMMED
DAWUNI<o:p></o:p>(1ST DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>[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">

SUIT NO: H1/5/2017&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; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; DATE: 22ND
FEBRUARY, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL: <o:p></o:p>COUNSEL
FOR 1ST DEFENDANT/APPELLANT:&nbsp;
JONATHAN S. LARI<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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COUNSEL
FOR PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT: MOHAMMED MUSAH<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;
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OFOE J.A. (PRESIDING), TORKORNOO
(MRS) J. A., NICHOLAS J.A.<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;
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JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>TORKORNOO (MRS), J.A.<o:p></o:p>This is an appeal from the
High Court, Tamale. The original plaintiff described himself as a sub-chief of
the Gumbiliya gate of the Dakpema Skin. He sued the Lands Commission as 1st
defendant, and the Attorney General as 2nd defendant. The Lands
Commission is the appellant in this appeal.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>It was the case of the plaintiff
that the Dakpema Skin had 3 gates, and accession to the skin was rotational
among the various gates, hence his capacity to sue regarding the proper
utilization, protection and preservation of Dakpema Skin lands. After his death
during the course of proceedings in the high court, he was substituted with the
respondent to this appeal. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The dispute in court is over
208.84 acres of land (Kaladan lands) out of the generality of Dakpema Skin
lands. It was the case of the Plaintiff Respondent (hereinafter referred to as
Respondent) that sometime in 1905, part of Dakpema Skin land which included the
Kaladan lands were ‘released to and or acquired
by’ the British colonial government for varied purposes. He pleaded that no
compensation was paid for the acquisition. He averred further that the Kaladan
lands in particular were occupied by the Gold Coast military. After
independence, these lands held by the crown became vested in the President of
the Republic of Ghana. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>He went on to plead that in or
about 1997, a portion of these 208.84 acres were released to the Dakpema Skin
through a committee with representatives of the 3 gates. The released lands
were distributed among the gates. Thereafter, more efforts were made for the
release of more of the Kaladan land and this was done. However, after the
second release of Dakpema lands, the 1st defendant/Appellant
(hereinafter referred to as Appellant) took control of the released lands and started
to dispose of, grant and sell same to private individuals without recourse to
the Dakpem Skin – the pre-acquisition owners of the lands. The contention of
the Appellant in defence of these dispositions was that the Kaladan lands
constituted state lands. The Respondent described the dispositions as illegal
and the contentions of the Appellant as contrary to law. In the endorsement on
his amended writ, the Plaintiff/Respondent claimed for:<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>1.