Ga lands brouhaha…Landowners vow to reclaim lands

With the on-going brouhaha of the illegal sale of Ga Traditional lands in the country to top politicians and public workers, Today hounds have established that central governments before and beginning of the Fourth Republic failed to honor their part of a deal they entered into with the original Ga land owners.

The development, Today learnt, has generated heated uneasiness in the Ga State for which the E. B. Tibboh family, the original land owners, are currently swearing brimstone and fire to reclaim their lands doled out by the Lands Commission to top politicians, public workers, private institutions, banks and government officials.

Today discovered that these lands are located at Roman Ridge, Shiashie, Cantonments, Dodowa, Kanda, Nyaniba Estate, Dzorwulu, Abelenkpe, Asylum Down, Kaaddjaano, Nima, Achimota Forest, Mamobi, Burma Camp, Jubilee House, 37 Military Hospital, Spintex Road among others in the Greater Accra Region.

Today on Monday, June 11, 2012 published a story under the headline, “WHO OWNS GA LANDS… Govt officials, Lands Commission..?; and in this paper’s pursuit for the truth, it established that governments of Ghana have over the years played hide-and-seek with the E. B. Tibboh family, who have are now up to reclaim what rightfully belongs to them from government or from whoever is holding on to their landed properties.

Documents in possession of Today revealed that, the central government as far back as 1931 acquired the lands from the late Emmanuel Botwe Tibboh.

According to this document, the family tradition of the late Emmanuel Tibboh shows that the late Emmanuel B. Tibboh was a descendant of Nii Okoi, who was the Ga Mantse from 1633 to 1660, and Nii Ofoli Tibboh, who reigned from 1733 to 1739 as well as one of the sons of the late Nii Saban Gbogbotswale of Abola and Madam Kai Nka of Gbese.

In addition, Today’s investigation team gathered that the late E.B Tibboh inherited landed properties from his forefathers, and that this land, according to documents, stretches from the Central Business District (CBD) of Accra to Shiashie.

It is also stated in the document that places like Ridge, Roman Ridge, Airport, Cantonments, Kanda, among others are part of these properties bequeathed to the late E.B Tibboh.

According to insiders, the said landed properties were however “stolen” by the then government led by the British, who acquired a 27-acre land on which were buildings, under a certificate of purchase with Serial No. 126/1911 from the late E.B. Tibboh.

Today gathered that parts of these lands were used for the Ridge Hospital, formerly European Hospital.

This paper established that during that time a greater part of the land meant for the construction of the European Hospital was never used for the hospital project but portions were doled out to individuals, including former President Jerry John Rawlings, former President John Agyekum Kufuor.

Today further established that in 1929, the colonial government acquired another 304.68 acre-land for what was termed European Residential Extension with a common boundary with the Ridge Hospital.

According to insiders, the late E.B. Tibboh granted portions of his land which was compulsorily acquired to mostly expatriate firms and businesses. It is believed that when E.B Tibboh passed away in 1931, his descendants were then too young to fight over what their father left behind.

The sources noted that things are beginning to change as the grand children are bracing up to engage government in a fierce battle over the said lands.

Indeed, they have applied for and obtained letters of administration to manage their grandfather’s properties.

Our investigation team established that some firms which purchased the lands from E.B Tibboh personally left the jurisdiction without any form of transfer, thus rendering them abandoned.

According to the Administrators, the 304.68 acre land acquired was for the European settlement but since the achievement of independence in 1957, that concept was in conflict with the constitution of Ghana as discrimination on grounds of race, religion, tribe sex or color were all abolished.

The family has thus come to know that though during the acquisition process EB. Tibboh was awarded compensation for the acquisition; that was never paid. The judgement in the acquisition enquiry ordered yearly payment of money to E.B. Tibboh which has never been paid for the past 82 years.

Today also found out that other grantees preferred to take lease-hold interest from the Lands Commission and not from the land owners (E.B Tibboh) when the lease expired.

And to compound matters, the Lands Commission has been in the centre of the sale of these lands without honoring any attempt to compensate the rightful owners.

Today’s investigations further revealed that the parcels of lands on which government, organizations and individuals reside will soon be taken back by the owners if immediate measures are not taken to address the long standing dispute.**