December 18th, 2006.
The Honorable Victor Ofoe,
Accra High Court
Accra, Ghana
Re: LTC v Ghana@50, Accra High Accra, sitting at Accra Cause no.
Dear Judge Ofoe:We are GaDangme International, Inc (GDI), an umbrella organization of GaDangme associations in North America dedicating to protecting the culture, rights, land and way of life of the GaDangme people in Ghana and everywhere.
By sending this letter, we do not wish to intervene in the above action, but instead comment on the Court’s ruling in the above case.
We write to protest the Courts ruling on November 27th, 2006 on the LTC v Ghana@50 on the “LA WIRELESS STATION LAND”.
It has become apparent that the Court holds no regard for the welfare of the La people in particular, and the GaDangme people in general.
The practice which gives the right to anyone to continue to build on any land in the GaDangme Region if the building reaches the lintel level must be deplored.
We believe that the Court’s ruling has a destructive effect on land acquisition in the Greater Accra Region.
The Court’s ruling that the LTC had not been able to “show the Court the inconvenience, hardship and any irreparable damage it would cause the Council if the application were not granted” is erroneous.
The Government through the Ghana@50 Secretariat had given the land originally acquired for a telecommunications project to a private estate developer without consultation with the allodial owners of the land. This is a clear violation of the purpose for which the land was originally acquired.
The government acquired the land compulsorily under the Public Lands (Leasehold) Ordinance, 1950(Cap 138) in 1957 for a term of 99 years for the purposes of establishing a wireless station, which is yet to expire. The government has since abandoned the use of the land for the establishment of a wireless station, therefore the land must revert back to the people.
If the public interest for which the land was acquired is compromised, the land must rightly revert back to the La Stool, the allodial owners of the land.
We hope to work with the Chiefs and people of La, the developer and Ghana@50 so the people of La can take back their land after the Ghana’s 50th Independence celebration.
Respectfully,
Gadangme International Secretariat
Reuben Nii Oto Darku (Executive Secretary) Atlanta
Cc: Nii Kpodi Tettey Tsuru, La Mantse
Mr. Joe Ghartey, the Attorney General
Mr. Nicholas Fredua-Kwarteng (Attorney-General’s Office)
Dr. Charles Wereko Brobby ( Chief Executive of Ghana@50
Mr. Raphael Kofi Boateng, Project Manager of Commons Development Limited
Professor Ablade Glover, Chairman, La Dadekotopon Reconciliation Committee Nii Amasa Namoala, MP Dedekotopon
Mrs. Dorothy Afriyie Ansah, Principal State Attorney
Mr. Peter Ala Adjetey, Plaintiff Attorney & former speaker of Parliament The speaker of Parliament
All GaDangme MP’s
The GaDangme Council
Mr. Derek Adjei, La Youth leader.
Mr. Sheik Quaye, Greater Accra Regional Minister
Mr. Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister of Tourism & Diaspora Relations
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