NII OKWEI KINKA DOWUONA VI vs. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND THE LANDS COMMISSION [2019]DLHC8790

Date	2019-11-20
Suit No.	SUIT NO. LD/0283/2016
Citation No.	[2019]DLHC8790

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE ANTHONY OPPONG

MR. KWAME FOSU-GYEABOUR ESQ. FOR PLAINTIFF

MS. VICTORIA ADOTEY (ASA) ESQ. FOR 1ST DEFENDANT

MR. NICHOLAS ADDAI-TWENEBOAH R. ESQ. FOR DEFENDANT

[2019]DLHC8790
																																						<div class="restriction-wrapper">
														<div class="container-lg">
															<div class="row">
																<div class="col-md-12 restricted-content">
																	<div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper">
																		<div class="lock-icon bounce-7">
																			<img class=""
																				src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png"
																				alt="Subscription based content">
																		</div>
																	</div>
																	 
																		<a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login"
																		class="btn btn-primary btn-lg"
																		style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> 
																		Login to Read Full Case </a>
																	 
																	
																</div>
															</div>
														</div>
													</div>
													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >NII OKWEI KINKA DOWUONA
VI<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL AND THE LANDS COMMISSION<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT,
ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

SUIT NO. LD/0283/2016&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:&nbsp;
20TH NOVEMBER, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MR.
KWAME FOSU-GYEABOUR ESQ., FOR PLAINTIFF&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>MS.
VICTORIA ADOTEY (ASA) ESQ., FOR 1ST DEFENDANT <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

MR.
NICHOLAS ADDAI-TWENEBOAH R. ESQ., FOR DEFENDANT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE ANTHONY OPPONG<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
border-left:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;border-right:none;
padding:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%;
border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The Osu Stool per the occupant thereof granted certain
leases of plots of land within the Ridge Residential Area for fifty (50) years
all of which have expired. Subsequently, the leases granted by the Osu Stool
were vested in Ghana National Trading Corporation (GNTC) by virtue of Ghana
National Trading Corporation (Vesting Properties) Law, 1991, (P.N.D.C.L. 315)
which made provision for compensation to be paid to the Osu Stool. Some of the
properties vested in the GNPC under P.N.D.C.L. 315 were mentioned in paragraph
6(a)-(e) of the Amended Statement of Claim.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Unfortunately, according to Plaintiff stool, in spite of
several demands, no such compensation has been paid. Plaintiff avers that
Divestiture Implementation Committee(D.I.C.) took over some of these subject
matter of the leases and so Plaintiff Stool caused their former lawyers,
Justking &amp; Associates, to write a letter dated 24th day of
September 1998 to them (D.I.C.) and demanded payment of compensation in respect
of those properties.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Again, Plaintiff Stool states that, a letter dated 16th
day of August 2002 &nbsp;&nbsp;authored by former solicitors of Plaintiff&nbsp; and written to the then Minister for Works
and Housing in which Osu Stool demanded for compensation in respect of the GNTC
properties, among other demands, shows that in a meeting dated the 8th
day of April, 2002 the Minister for Works and Housing requested Plaintiff stool
to furnish him with a letter stating some of the immediate needs of the Osu
people for him to take immediate action. However, no compensation has been paid
to the Osu Stool.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The Plaintiff stool through its Solicitors in a letter dated
2nd November, 2015 wrote to the Attorney General and others and
demanded not only payment of compensation but also gave notice of the Stool’s
intention to commence the instant action in accordance with law if the State
failed to pay the compensation. There was no response to the said letter even
though same was sent via EMS on 6th November, 2015.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>It is the case of Plaintiff stool that failure of the state
to pay ground rent after the expiration of the leases and also failure to pay
compensation to the Osu Stool after vesting the properties in GNTC occasioned
the institution of the instant suit wherefore Plaintiff in his capacity as the
paramount chief of Osu stool seeks by way of reliefs:<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>a&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
An
order to the Defendants to pay all ground rent arrears in respect of the
properties with interest prior to the expiration of the leases.<o:p></o:p>