Filed by: Hafiz Timbile Adams
The Wa Municipal Assembly (WMA) and two individuals, Abu Iddrisu and Mba Issah Bayoung Suuri, have been sued over the assembly’s decision to repurpose the land containing the Tendamba Primary School for a 24-hour economy market.
The court documents, cited by Radio Mak, show that the lawsuit was filed by four members of the Sokpare family, three being heads of three of the four gates of the family, through their lawyer, Daniel B. Bewel of Ibrahim A. Adams and Associates, on April 27, 2026, at the High Court in Wa.
The plaintiffs – Mahama Issaka Moguna (Head of the Yirkpong Gate and the entire Sokpare family), Yussif Abu Gbangu (Head of the Dangoli Gate), Abdulai Mahama (Head of the Yirkore Gate), and Ibrahim Abu (Principal elder of the Sokpare family) – are seeking a declaration that the Sokpare family is the allodial owner of the said land on which the Tendamba M/A Primary School is built, whose consent and approval are essential to a change in the use of the land.
In addition, the 2nd and 3rd defendants, who are identified as the Head of Puohunyiri family and the alleged Head of the Balun clan, respectively, are cited for defamation over comments the plaintiffs describe as “very disparaging”.
Reliefs sought
In addition to a declaration that they are the allodial owners of the land, the plaintiffs want the Court to declare “that the government and/or the 1st defendant cannot change the purpose for which the land was granted without the consent of and approval of the Sokpare family.”
They also want “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants and/or the government of Ghana and/or any agents, assigns, employees, partners and/or persons acting under their instructions from demolishing the Temdamba Primary School and/or relocating the school thereof for any purpose whatsoever, as the same is against the wishes of the Sokpare family and public interest.”
On the defamation front, the plaintiffs want
- A declaration that the words authored and uttered by the 2nd and 3rd defendants in the press statement dated 18th February, 2026, are defamatory.
- An order for general damages against the 2nd and 3rd defendants’ families for defaming the plaintiffs’ family and the 4th plaintiff.
- An order directing the 2nd and 3rd defendants’ families to use the same medium at which the defamatory statement was made to retract the same and apologise to the Sokpare family.
Land ownership and grant to government
According to the statement of claim accompanying the writ of summons, the plaintiffs aver that “their family is the allodial owner of all that parcel of land situate and lying at a place commonly known as ‘Tendamba School Lands’, containing the Tendamba Primary School.” The plaintiffs argued that the said land was part of a large tract of land acquired by their great grandfather, Sokpare, through discovery and subsequent settlement “as the first settler in Wa”.
“The Sokpare family lands span from the main gutter in the Wa Central Market, which is the boundary between the Sokpare and Wudaana family lands to the north; Puohunyiri family lands to the south, with the boundary line at Ancilla International School; the Kabanye family lands to the east, whose boundary line is the road in between the Royal Lodge and Tendamba Primary School; and to the west by Kpagure lands, with the boundary line at Acheampong street,” they stated.
The plaintiffs also indicated that “sometime in the 1950s, the government, through the Wa Naa, approached the head of the Sokpare family, Mba Gbaga, to secure a portion of land for the establishment of a school.” The then head of the plaintiffs’ family then agreed and allocated part of their land to the government to be used for educational purposes only, with an agreement that the school be named “Tendamba Primary School”.
It is claimed by the Plaintiffs that aside from granting the land to the government “without monetary consideration”, members of the community at the time also contributed their labour towards the establishment of the school.
To further strengthen their claim, they stated that the school management has always recognised the Sokpare family as the landlords and usually contacted them in instances where they wanted to undertake alteration or new development in the school.
Repurposing the School for 24-Hr Market
It is the case of the plaintiffs that as allodial owners of the land containing the Tendamba Primary School, their consent is paramount in changing the purpose for which the land was granted to the government.
The statement of claim explained that the WMA (1st Defendant) in a 2025 meeting with the plaintiffs’ family and other landowners proposed “to demolish the Tendamba Primary School” to pave the way for the construction of the 24-hour economy market. This proposed change of use of the land was, however, opposed immediately by the Sokpare family, who “insisted that the 24-hour economy market be built on a different land.
The plaintiffs asserted that following their objection to the proposed change of use of the land, “the 1st defendant connived with the 2nd and 3rd defendants to hold themselves out as the allodial owners of the land on which the Tendamba Primary School is situated”. They said the action was intended to wrongly inform the public that the landlords have okayed the demolition of the school.
It was this misrepresentation by the defendants that led the plaintiffs to call a press conference to set the records straight with the government and the entire public that the Sokpare family were the rightful landlords and have not consented to or approved the proposed demolition.
However, this press conference was met with a counter press conference by the 2nd and 3rd defendants, which the plaintiffs contend was done with the connivance of the Assembly.
The plaintiffs said the averments in the said press conference by the defendants not only claim ownership of the land in issue but are also defamatory of the Sokpare family and the 4th plaintiff.
They state that defendants by their averments in the February 18, 2026 press conference portray the Sokpare family and the 4th plaintiff to right-thinking members of society as “misfits”, “rebels”, “evil-minded”, “persons opposing government projects”, and “disrespectful persons who disregard the authority of the Overlord of Wa”.
Meanwhile, counsel for the plaintiffs, Daniel B. Bewel, Esq., has filed an accompanying motion for an interlocutory injunction seeking the court to restrain the respondents, either by themselves, agents, representatives, officers, labourers, workmen and person(s) claiming through them, from demolishing and/or relocating the Tendamba Primary School and/or constructing or establishing a 24-hour economy market in place of the said school pending the final determination of this matter.”
The Court is expected to be moved on Monday, 4th May, 2026, for counsel of the plaintiffs to be heard on the motion.
