The Accra High Court (Land Division One) has directed the Lands Commission to instruct its Eastern Region Office in Koforidua to expunge from its records information indicating that Akotoshie, Ewukorpe, and Gakorpe in the Ga West Municipality are in the Eastern Region.
The court held that Akotoshie, Ewukorpe and Gakorpe had always been part of Ga West Municipality.
The ruling made by Justice Abena A. Oppong, a High Court Judge recently in respect of a case between Asfat Company Limited versus Supreme Genesis Investment Limited, Mr Annoh Dompreh, the Lands Commission over a 38.76 acres of land at Ewukorpe, near Akotoshie, in the Ga West Municipality.
Asfat Company Limited had sued Supreme Genesis Investment Limited that lands the latter had sold in Ewukorpe belonged to him and his forebears.
A certified true copy of the ruling in possession of the Ghanaian Times, said even though per the regional boundary the land in dispute and the villages mentioned were in the Eastern Region, Akotoshie, Gakorpe and Avukope (Ewukorpe) are under the Ga West Municipal Assembly of the Greater Accra Region.
The High Court held that the disputed land in Ewukorpe belonged to the plaintiff and should make efforts to recover it.
The High Court said even though the land in dispute was located in the Eastern Region that alone should not detract from the cogent evidence led by the Plaintiff of the acts of ownership exercised over the disputed land.
“From time to time new regions are created. The present Greater Accra region formed part of the Eastern Region until the Greater Accra Region was carved out, “the ruling said.
Nii Kwashie Asamangflo I, the Shipi of Akotoshie also known in private life as Ahene F.A Sackey, said he was happy about the ruling confirming his ownership of the land, stressing that it had taken him seven years to fight for the property.
Mr Sackey said efforts to get the individuals who had trespassed on the land to vacate proved futile and had to resort to the court to claim ownership of the land.
He said as a law abiding citizen, he would use legal means to recover the land.
The Chief of Akotoshie, Nii Okai-koi Afragaja I, said he “is the allodial owner of Akotoshie lands, under which the disputed villages fell under,” adding that Akotoshie land had always been under the Greater Accra Region under the Asere Stool.
He said people who bought Akotoshie and Ewukorpelands without recourse to the Asere Stool or the families did so at their own risk.
FROM KINGSLEY ASARE, GAKORPE
