NII ADAM SORSEY vs. MELCOM LTD, ALHAJI SULLEY TAOFEEK [2021]DLHC16424

Date	2021-07-22
Suit No.	SUIT NO. LD/0505/2021
Citation No.	[2021]DLHC16424

HIS LORDSHIP K. A. GYIMAH

OFORI ADUENI FOR PLAINTIFF/ RESPONDENT.

AARON MENSAH FOR SAMUEL M. CODJOE FOR 1ST DEFENDANT/ APPLICANT.

[2021]DLHC16424
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >NII ADAM SORSEY <o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/ RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>MELCOM LTD <o:p></o:p>(1ST
DEFENDANT/APPLICANT)<o:p></o:p>ALHAJI SULLEY TAOFEEK <o:p></o:p>(2ND
DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH
COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o: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: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

SUIT NO. LD/0505/2021&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&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 &nbsp;JULY 2021<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL<o:p></o:p>OFORI
ADUENI FOR PLAINTIFF/ RESPONDENT.<o:p></o: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: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

</div>CORAM<o:p></o: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: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o: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: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

RULING<o:p></o:p>

</div>Plaintiff’s
Case<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;By a writ of summons issued on 6th
May 2021, the plaintiff claimed among others, the reliefs of declaration of
title, recovery of possession, injunction and exemplary damages against the
defendants. The plaintiff describes himself as the head and lawful
representative of the Apaintse We of the Lenshie Quarter of La and his family
has from time immemorial been in possession of the Shiashie lands including the
land in dispute.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The plaintiff asserts that on 1st
September 1944, the Colonial Government through the Public Lands Ordinance, Cap
134 compulsorily acquired his family lands for the construction of an airfield.
The plaintiff asserts that upon the said compulsory acquisition, all rights or
interests in the land were extinguished and Government acquired an absolute and
indefeasible title in the land but the Government failed to eject his family
from the land and as such they continued to occupy the land as trespassers.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The plaintiff asserts that in 1993, his
family instituted an action against the Government in Suit No. 679/93; Nii Tetteh
Opremereh II v. AG &amp; another for, inter alia, a declaration that by
virtue of their continued occupation of the land after the said compulsory
acquisition, they had been in adverse possession in accordance with sections 10
and 30 of the Limitation Act, 1972 (NRCD 54) and the family had thereby
acquired title in the land as from 1st September 1956.&nbsp; Their claim was upheld by the High Court
presided over by Justice Nana Gyamerah Tawiah J. who held that the plaintiff’s
family were the owners of the land. He asserts that his family have continued
to be in possession of the land till date.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The plaintiff further asserts that the
land in dispute had been reserved by his family and duly fenced for the purpose
of building a palace but sometime in January 2021, the defendants violently and
forcibly entered the land and the 1st defendant has commenced
development of the land at such an alarming rate that they are rapidly changing
the character of the land. The plaintiff also asserts that the defendants have
deployed thugs onto the land who have been terrorising the plaintiff’s family
members anytime they make an attempt to stop the defendants’ illegal activities
on the land in dispute. The plaintiff therefore concludes that it is only the
court that can curtail the defendants’ activities on the land hence the present
action. The plaintiff followed up the writ with a Motion for Injunction. <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Basis
of 1st defendant’s application<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Before the application for injunction
could be heard however, the 1st defendant brought the present
application seeking to strike out the plaintiff’s pleadings and dismiss the
suit under Order 11 rule 18 (1) (d) of C. I. 47 and also under the inherent
jurisdiction of the court. It is the case of the 1st defendant/
applicant that it acquired the land in dispute from the Government by a lease
dated 19th December 2019 and it </main>