Gbawe Kwartei Family Cries Out To President, CJ, Mayor

• Say; Akukorfoto Land Does Not Belong To Sempe

..... As They Want Mandamus for Demolition to Be Respected

The Chiefs at the press briefing

By-Mohammed Saani Ibrahim

The Adam Kwartei Royal Family of the Gbawe Stool of the Greater Accra Region, have cleared the uncertainties surrounding the true ownership of the Akukorfoto land at Dansoman, a suburb of Accra.

Lately, there have been reports in sections of the media claiming that the said vast land belong to the Sempe Stool, this the Adam Kwartei family indicated are "twisted facts and misinformation."

At a press conference to set the records straight and unveil the relevant information which have legally been endorsed, the Public Relations Officer of the Gbawe Customary Land Secretariat, Stephen Kwaku Darku, revealed that a High Court Judgment dated 11th July 2006 presided over by His Lordship Justice Victor Ofoe, ruled against the Sempe Stool and declared that, they, the Adam Kwartei Royal Family are the rightful owners of the Akukorfoto Land.

However, after this ruling, he indicated, their interest in the Land was duly registered at the Lands Commissions.

"Since that time we have subsequently transferred our interest in the Akukorfoto Land to Osamanpa Estate Developers who in turn has leased a portion to Alpha Beta Education Centre, as evidenced by a search report from Lands Commission," he said.

According to him, although the 11th July 2006 High Court judgement went against the Sempe Stool, "fraudsters" purporting to be elders of the Sempe Stool, "........ Led by one Otintor, have gone about claiming the Land to be theirs and selling portions to unsuspecting developers."

Also, on 5th May 2009, a Court of Appeal presided over by Justice B.T Aryeetey sitting with Justices W.H.K Addoh and K.A Acquaye gave a ruling in favour of the Kwartey family as regards the said land.

These developers, he mentioned, obviously did not check at the Lands Commission to verify the true owners, but gone ahead and encroached on the land and built various properties without ownership documents and building permits.

"The land has now become a haven for car fitters, land guards, squatters and wee smokers," he stated.

However in their bid to ensure that the right thing is done and to also recover their landed property back, the Adam Kwartei family, applied for an order of Mandamus, directed at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to carry out its statutory duty/function to remove these unauthorized structures on the Akukorfoto land.

This order was duly granted in the High Court by Justice Peter Dei Ofei in 14th January 2013.

Meanwhile, the AMA to date has not acted on the Mandamus and the encroachers on the land continue to build unauthorized structures with impunity while the AMA looks on unconcerned. "We call on the Chief Executive of the AMA Dr. Alfred Oko Vanderpuije to carry out the order as granted by the Court immediately to bring sanity to the area and stop the lawlessness that is taking place under their noses."

The Legitimate owners of the Land, Stephen Kwaku Darku averred, have secured fully registered documents and permits from the AMA and the Town and Country Planning Department for the construction of a school structure and other facilities at the site but have been confronted by Land guards on daily basis as they try to carry out their legal right to develop the site.

He also indicated that the legitimate grantees and owners of the said land who were granted interest to the land have secured land title documents and building permits from the AMA and the Town and Country Planning Department.

According to him, "These are requisite legal steps for the construction intended which include schools and other facilities at the site."

In effect of the ongoing development, the Adam Kwatei family has sent strong signals to encroachers and squatters on the Akukorfoto lands to vacate the site before September 30th 2014 so as to make way for legitimate development.

They have also called on the President, John Dramani Mahama, and the Chief Justice[ CJ] to ensure that due process is followed and the rule of law allowed to work.

The family will implement any strategy necessary to reclaim their land and if the authorities fail to ensure that the Mandamus issued by the Court is carried out, he warned.

He further stressed "We, members of the Kwatei Family will use all means possible to fight and claim our land,".

Present to grace the press conference were, Nii Kpakpa Quartey-Principal Stool Elder of the Gbawe Kwatei Family, Nii Laryea Faamlite II-Chief of Gbawe, Daniyal Quartey-Principal Elder, Nii Adam Kwatei Quartey-Head of Gbawe Kwatei Family among other leading family heads.