Veterans sue Lands Commission

The veterans who were given orders by the Northern Regional office of the Lands Commission to vacate the Old Kaladan Barracks have defied the orders and have rather sued the commission at the Tamale High Court.

Also joined in the suit is the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly as co-defendants.

In a writ of summons issued on June 13, 2013, in the Tamale High Court, the plaintiffs made up of Major M.J Alhassan and 22 others in their statement of claim made it clear that the Old Kaladan Barracks was specifically built and designed to house servicemen of the Ghana Armed Forces returning from the 2nd World War.

“Since the ex-servicemen had sacrificed their lives in the war, they were retained in the bungalows to remain therein for life”, the statement stated further.

Citing examples in the world and in Ghana, the veterans claimed that it was recognised worldwide that such ex-servicemen resident in such bungalows were always resettled prior to ejection “and in Ghana ex-servicemen in Kumasi were resettled at Sofoline which derives its name from the veterans.”

They stated further that “in Accra, the veterans were resettled at Amasaman and in Sunyani at Quarter Back and this has been done wherever there are ex-servicemen.”

They were, therefore, seeking a declaration from the court that “the plaintiffs having occupied their various bungalows for period of at least 30 years are protected by law from eviction from their bungalows, by the Limitations Decree 1975 SMCD 74.”

They are also seeking a declaration that the defendants “are not entitled to forcibly evict the plaintiffs from their bungalows without adequate arrangement for their resettlement” and “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, assigns, personal representatives or whosoever from evicting the plaintiffs from their bungalows at the Old Kaladan Barracks, Tamale, until plaintiffs have been adequately resettled.”

By Marcelinus Dery