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The Court of Appeal has ruled in favour of the Numo Nmashie and Ashiyie Families in their quest to be declared the rightful owners of tracts of land within some 29 villages.

The three Justices of Appeal who sat on the matter unanimously agreed to hand victory to the family and threw out an earlier ruling by Justice Ajet Nassam, a High Court Judge who had also set aside a judgment by a superior Court.

“In conclusion, the appeal is allowed and the judgment of the High Court dated the 8th of March, 2011 is hereby set aside”

Per the ruling, the Numo Nmashie family now has ownership over Ashonman, Ablajei, Sempene, Aboman, Pantang, Abokobi, Akporman, Boi, Kweiman, Otinibi, Ochirenkumfo,Ashale-Botwe, and Agboba.

The other villages are Aiyim, Bawaleshie, Madina, Mpehuasem, Ogbojo, Otele, Bacthona, Agblesia, Danfa, Adoteiman,Berekuso, Ajitamenti,Aiyimensa and Sesemi.

The decision of the Court of Appeal makes it clear that the Judgment of the Supreme Court in favour of the Numo Nmashie in 2006 is the final authority on the ownership of the said parcels of land.

The Court also restrained the agents, and assigns of the defendants (Benjamin Quarshie Mensah, Agri Cattle Lakeside Estate and the Nungua Stool) from dealing on the said land.

The decision of the Court paves way for Real Estate developers to enter into genuine businesses without any fear as most of their clients have either taken them to court or cancelled a contractual obligation.

In an interview, a family member paid glowing tribute to one Samuel Darko who fought the case in Court to its logical conclusion. “We ate grateful to him and our ancestors shall bless the fruit of his labor as he has spent a lot of his resources towards a successful prosecution of this matter”, she said