The Nii Odoitso Odoi Kwao family of Accra is claiming that it is the rightful owner of lands within the Greater Accra Region, including the Achimota Forest lands.
In a letter written to the President signed by both Heads of Nii Odoitso Odoi family of La and Nii Odoitso Odoi Kwao/Odoi Kwao family of Osu, Mike Nii Odoi Laryea and Charles Odoi Ayi respectively, they averred that Nii Owoo family does not have any interest; neither were they properly the pre-acquisition owners of the Achimota forest land.
They stressed that the Nii Odoitso Odoi Kwao family were the allodial owners of the said land and also have their interest in the said land firmly established by way of court judgment which by law was a good root of title.
They recalled that issues of the release of the Achimota forest lands to the pre-acquisition owners came up and members of the Nii Owoo family held themselves out as pre–acquisition owners.
Establishing their claim over the Achimota forest lands, the Heads of the Nii Odoitso Odoi Kwao family mentioned that available Certificate of Title dated 16th December 1921 and another, dated 17th May 1927 by the colonial government acquired the Achimota forest from the Owoo family.
That notwithstanding, they averred that in the issuance of the said Certificate of Title to the Owoo family, due process was not followed making the whole exercise of the acquisition improper and a nullity.
They explained that in colonial times the normal mode of government acquiring land for public use was provided under section 6 of the Public Lands Ordinance of 1876 which allowed the appointment of a judge of the High court to enquire into the ownership of the land to be acquired by government and determine the compensation to be paid to the people who would be proved to be the owners.
They cited examples such as the appointment of Justice Hall and Justice Jackson to deal with the compulsory acquisition of lands Cantonments for the European Settlement Area Extension.
The Heads of Nii Odoitso Odoi family of La and Osu pointed out that there is no record of any Judge of the High court as having been appointed to enquire into the said acquisition of Achimota forest lands before the Certificates of Title were issued.
“It was not until 1930 that Justice Hall of the High Court was appointed to do the enquiry by which time the Certificates of Title had been already been issued. This meant that there were no notices issued inviting people to put in their claim a step provided for under the Ordinance and which should have preceded the issuance of the Certificates of Title. Notwithstanding this abnormality vis -av-is the Public Land Ordinance the authorities had already recognized the Nii Owoo family and adjudged them as the owners of the Achimota Forest lands,” they stated.
They also stressed that Certificates of Title on the Achimota Forest land acquisition were issued in 1921 and 1927 long before the acquisition enquiry was held in 1930.
With these developments, the Heads of family said the purported interest of Nii Owoo family and the Achimota forest land has been seriously discounted.
They also stressed that the Nii Odoitso Odoi family owns land in Accra comprising of approximately 194 acres situate lying and being at Accra District of the Eastern Province of the Gold Coast Colony lying on both sides of the road from Cantonments to Achimota which piece or parcel of land is more particularly delineated on plan No. L.D. 253.
“As far back as 1931, our family obtained a favorable judgement in a matter of land in Accra acquired for European Residential Area Extension and in the matter of the Public Lands Ordinance indicating that the lands so acquired belong to the Nii Odoitso Odoi Kwao family of the Osu Stool.”
They mentioned that the family has never slept on their rights and still do not sleep on the family’s Allodial ownership right which is why in 2015 when notices of Application for Registration issued by Land Title Registry was published with respect to all applications concerning lands falling into their family lands, the family quickly caused to be published, a Public Notice dated 18th day of August 2015 opposing the Notices of Application for registration issued by Land Title Registry which was published in the Ghanaian times.
They prayed the President takes keen interest in the developments regarding the Achimota forest land and its ownership.
