The Director of the Ghana School of Law (GSL), Yaw Oppong, has urged further discussions following the Supreme Court’s decision on the Numo Nmashie Family land case.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Thursday, December 14, Yaw Oppong emphasized the potential impact on numerous Accra communities, stating, “It is a huge land, and you know it is not just land. It is communities and that is what makes it serious. All the names that you mentioned are not the names of bare land, they are communities that have chieftaincy, they have heads of family, and they have their own established churches and other religious institutions there.
“How are you going to, in a way declare that okay, now move your shrine, move your churches, and so on? It would reinforce judgment and in a way call for further negotiations”.
The Numo Nmashie Family’s claim to over 72,000 acres and 70 villages in Accra was dismissed by the Supreme Court, citing false information used in a 1982 Court of Appeal ruling.
This decision affects various communities, including La-Bawaleshie, Adenta, Madina, Ashale-Botwe, Ablekuma, and Teshie, among others.
Others are Otiakurum, Otopram, Brekusu, Kponko, Dedekurom, Sesemi, Teiman, Papao, Ogbodzo, Adaman, Mpehuasem, Otinshi, Otanor, Tesa, Adjiringano, Okpoi Gonno, Manmormo, Oshiyie, Amanfro, Bobamase, Abokobi, Nyamekurom, Oyarifa and Ogoha.
The rest are Ajangote, Akpomang, Boi, Pantang, Sempene, Frafraha, Apenkwa, Abladdzei, Ankome, Ashonman, Agbogba, Adenta, Otuwa, Madina, Nkwantanang, Ashale-Botwe, Atwuo-Okuman, Martey Tsuru, Gbatsuma, Okpegon, Ablekuma, Odediben, Agbleshia, Alegon, Mangoase, Teshie and Kpeshie Ridge.
Oppong clarified legal options for affected individuals and communities, “My understanding is that those who had been in possession of the land long before the case commenced or those who have been on it without notice of the tendency of the case, acquired the land from the Numo Nmashie, who have now been declared not to be owners of the land, these people would have to go to what we call possession claims after the court has granted them a writ of possession, which the application have to be served on all the parties or persons concerned”.
