All persons who acquired land in some seventy areas in Accra from the Numo Nmashie Family of Teshie will not be compelled to repurchase their lands due to Supreme Court’s latest ruling, a legal practitioner Kwame Gyan has said.
The Supreme Court has reiterated that the Numo Nmashie Family of Teshie in the Greater Accra Region cannot assert ownership of 70 villages spanning over 72,000 acres of land.
In its recent clarification, a five-member panel led by Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkornoo upheld that the family’s claim was invalidated due to fraudulent information presented to the Court of Appeal in 1982, which had previously declared them as owners of the land.
Consequently, the court instructed the Lands Commission to remove all registrations and certificates issued to the Numo Nmashie Family of Teshie and the Tetteh Olewolon Family regarding the 72,000 acres.
Appearing on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Friday (15 December), Gyan said atonement of tenancy requires the landowners to fulfill their obligations to a new landowner.
“Atonement of tenancy is not a repurchase, it means because of the judicial decision, your landlord has changed and you have a new landlord.
“If there are any obligations outstanding, into the future which has to be rendered by you as a tenant should be rendered to the new landlord.”
“But it doesnt mean go and repurchase, in this country we create an impression that atonement of tenancy means we are going to sell the land all over, that is not the essence of the law,” Gyan said.
Listen to Lawyer Kwame Gyan in the attached audio clip below:
Affected areas
The villages affected by the decision are Peduase, Obuom, Nsakye, Agyemanti, Brotrease, Danfa, Adoteiman, Otinibi, Malidzano, Okyrekomfo Kotei, Taboadidi, Ayim, Adenkrebi, Abefia, Ayimensa, Kweiman, Odonkorkurom and Kwadwokurom.
Others are Otiakurum, Otopram, Brekusu, Kponko, Dedekurom, Sesemi, Teiman, Papao, Ogbodzo, Adaman, Mpehuasem, Otinshi, Otanor, La- Bawaleshie, 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, Ashongman, Agbogba, Adenta, Otuwa, Madina, Nkwantanang, Ashale-Botwe, Atwuo-Okuman, Martey Tsuru, Gbatsuma, Okpegon, Ablekuma, Odediben, Agbleshia, Alegon, Mangoase, Teshie and Kpeshie Ridge.
Reporting by Fred Dzakpata in Accra
