A sub-chief of Tamale Dakpemah, Zobogu Naa, Henry Abukari Kaleem has sued the northern regional office of the lands commission at a Tamale high court over the ownership of the Tamale Kaladan lands.
The chief on behalf of the three gates of Dakpemah skin is requesting for an order of the court identifying all skin lands as skin land, and reverting all divested lands, illegally sold lands and lands acquired by state and no longer being used for their original purposes to the Dakpemah skin.
The lands were acquired by the colonial regime in 1906 and the Kaladan area was given to the military.
The military recently relinquished the lands resulting in litigation over who should exercise full control.
However, the board chairman of the regional lands commission, Sumaila Joe Marah, could not comment on the issue, explaining that the issue is before the court.
Freelance journalist, Mahama Shayibu reports of some high profile public office holders, both past and present, having acquired state lands in the area that house the offices of the regional minister in the northern region.
The secretary to the Tamale Depkemah, who has authority over the lands, Mohammed Rashid in an interview confirmed the acquisition of state lands by government officials.
Those who acquired the land, he noted, include a former regional minister, now Ghana's Ambassador to Angola, Moses Mabemba, the immediate past Northern regional minister, Bede Ziedeng, and a host of others including the former vice president, the late Alhaji Aliu Mahama.
Shayibu further reports that encroachment of the Degbokpa Technical Institute, Northern School of Business and Kelpohen Senior High school has led to the erection of fence walls around the the schools.
The Tamale Teaching Hospital has in the past got large parcel of its lands encroached by residents of Kalarga but hospital authorities on humanitarian grounds ceded that part of the land to the Kalarga community.
<<Print>>