As Land Guards flout High Court Orders

There was near bloodshed at Katakpor-Pokuase, a fast growing community in the Ga West Municipality in the Greater Accra Region, on Tuesday December 31, 2013, when some youth believed to be notorious land guards, led by one Nii Okai clashed with fully-armed police officers.

This occurred when an Accra Fast Track High Court bailiffs (names withheld) accompanied by some police officers were in Katakpor-Pokuase to deliver a public notice on the change of Head of the J.W Hansen family from MumuniAdoko to J. W. Hansen, as per a court order.

The exercise was nearly marred into violence when an angry youth numbering over hundred confronted the bailiffs, police personnel, media and members of the Hansen family present in a heated brawl that nearly brought the exercise to a halt.

But, for the intervention of the police personnel present, the Bailiff and the family members would have been lynched.

However, the exercise also seen leaders of the Ga Traditional Council led by the SakumoWulomo, Numo Ogbaame III, who performed purification rites to signify the peaceful final overtake of the J. W. Hansen family’s leadership.

It emerged that on August 25th 2011,one Mumuni Adoko, brought a writ of summons against Reginald Kpakpo-Hansen Thompson as the head of the J.W Hansen family, seeking a permanent injunction restraining Mr. Hansen Thompson, their servants, agents and privies from holding themselves as head of the family.

However, on 13th May 2013, their injunctions were overturned and Mr. Hansen Thompson was granted the order to Head the family.

The exercise of serving the community a notice of the latest development as regards the new and legitimate Head of the Hansen family was carried on a court order premise to an earlier judgment of May13,2013, between Gustav Adolphus Hansen (Defendant) versesMumuniAdoko&Anor (Plaintiffs) in SUIT No. AP 157/2011 and presided over by Mr. Justice M.C. Abodakpi.

And that the plaintiff relinquishes all claims to the position of acting head of J.W Hansen family of James Town, Accra and recognizes the installation of Mr. Hansen-Thompson as the substantive head of the J.W Hansen family.

The Office of the Judicial Secretary in Accra in effect, on December 12, 2013, wrote to the Director General of Police Legal Directorate of the Ghana Police Service notifying their outfit about the intended exercise where Deputy Sheriff Officers attached to the High Court would go into the execution of the Court Judgment.

However to forestall any breach of the peace that may arise, the Court requested detailed armed policemen to assist the officers to execute the order.

In that court Judgment, Justice Abodakpi also stated that the defendant (Reginald Kpakpo Hansen-Thompson) must be recognized as the Head of the family who is given the sole right to alienate, sell and lease the family land at Katakpor and account to the family with regards to the said alienation.

According to a public announcement issued by Nii Hansen V, Head of Hansen Family of James Town, the lawful owner and representative of the Hansen family, the family has not given authority whatsoever to any person or group of persons to deal in any form of land transaction on their behalf with any member of the general public.

“I therefore advise anyone who has had any such transactions to take note that such transactions are null and void. “…drastic measures will be taken after two weeks lapse of this public notice,” Nii Hansen V stressed.

But notices that were pasted on walls and at public places were torn off by the land guards few minutes after the bailiffs completed the exercise.

In an interview with some of the wailing residents in the area, they expressed disappointment in the police administration for not notifying the Chiefs of the area before embarking on such an exercise.

According to them the area which was peaceful, has now become volatile due to the steps taken by the authorities without given prior knowledge to the members of the community.

They therefore called on the authorities to do due diligence by consulting the Chiefs and people of the area before carrying out any of such exercises.