[2020]DLCA9902 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height: 150%"><a name="_Hlk35510717"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; color:#00B0F0">NANA ANIMA II QUEEN MOTHER OF THE MANKRALO STOOL APAASO <o:p></o:p></span></b></a></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height: 150%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height: 150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height: 150%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height: 150%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#00B0F0">LAND VALUATION BOARD<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height: 150%"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">(1<sup>ST</sup> DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height: 150%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; color:#00B0F0">NANA OTIEKU AMOANI II</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";color:#00B0F0"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height: 150%"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">(2<sup>ND</sup> DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height: 150%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; color:#00B0F0">NANA OTU PANYIN</span></b><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:#00B0F0"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height: 150%"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">(3<sup>RD</sup> DEFENDANT) <o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpLast" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height: 150%"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;"> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">SUIT NO. H1/177/2020 </span></b><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"">DATE: </span></b><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">26TH NOVEMBER, 2020</span></b><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">DOUGLAS OBENG FOR 1<sup>ST</sup> DEFENDANT/APPELLANT <o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;"> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">DAVID VAN DYCK FOR PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT <o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-style: italic">CORAM: <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">WELBOURNE (MRS), J.A. (PRESIDING), AGBEVOR, J.A., BAFFOUR, J.A.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0in;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:150%; tab-stops:147.0pt;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">JUDGMENT</span></b><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify"><b><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"">WELBOURNE, JA<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">This is an appeal against the Ruling of the High Court, Accra, dated the 22<sup>nd</sup> day of July, 2015.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">BRIEF FACTS:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">The facts in this case are fairly simple and straightforward and same narrated by the 1<sup>st</sup> Defendant/Appellant as follows:<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">In the early 1960’s the Government acquired a large tract of land for the purposes of generating electricity by means of the water power of the Volta River; initial compensation sums were paid by the VRA in the 1960’s and in August 1974, State Lands (Volta River Flooded Area) Instrument, 1974 E.I. 98 as amended by State Lands (Volta River Flooded Area) (Amendment) Instrument, 1975 E.I. 67 was passed to (formally) compulsorily acquire an approximate area of 3,400 square miles of land in the Volta, Eastern, Brong Ahafo and Northern Regions (Pai, Apaaso, Kete Krachi, Makango, etc.) already inundated by the Volta Lake.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Claimants who had not yet been compensated were expected to put in claims for compensation in compliance with the requirements stipulated in the State Lands Act, 1962 (Act 125); and numerous but several conflicting claims were accordingly submitted including that of the Plaintiff/Respondent.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Claimants, who numbered 122, managed to meet together sometime in August 2004 through their Chartered Surveyor and consultant, Messrs. Kodwo Abban & Co. and amicably resolved the issues of overlapping and conflicting claim compensation on their behalf. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Following the successful reconciliation of the claims, the 1<sup>st</sup> Defendant/Appellant made an offer of compensation in the sum of GH</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Cambria",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Cambria">ȼ</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">126,680.00 to the Respondent (out of the consolidated offer of GH</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Cambria",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Cambria">ȼ</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">189,966,840.00 to the 122 Claimants), which was accepted by the Respondent. This fact is evidenced at pages 79 and 80 of Volume 1 of the Record of Appeal.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">However, it was not until sometime in 2008 following successful negotiations between Government and representatives of the Claimants that Cabinet approved payment under the following conditions:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left:.75in;mso-add-space:auto; text-align:justify;text-indent:-.5in;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">i.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i><span style="font-size:12.0p