By Solomon T. Gaye Sr.
Resident Judge of 8th Judiciary Circuit Court in Sanniquellie, Roland F. Dahn, is hearing a land dispute case involving the Ganta United Methodist Mission and the Paye Suah Estate in Ganta, Nimba County.
The court’s record has revealed that defendant Fred Suah, administrator, representing Paye Suah Estate is claiming 67.4 acres of city land while the Ganta United Methodist Mission (plaintiff) is claiming some 512.86 acres of the same city land.
According to the report, the Methodist Mission in Ganta in 2015 filed in Action of Ejectment against the Paye Suah Estate administrator, Fred Suah for taking over the mission’s land in Nimba County.
The Ganta United Methodist Mission’s land dispute with Paye Suah Estate is among the longest outstanding land disputes which started in 1965, and to date still pending at the 8th Judiciary in Nimba County.
Judge Dahn ordered the Resident County Land Surveyor, Susannah G. Kollie, in Bong County to proceed and conduct an investigative layout survey of the land on the Sanniquellie Highway outside Ganta with immediate effect.
The Methodist Mission is owned by the former Mission’s Superintendent, Priscilla Jaih, through her legal Counsel James N. Gilayeneh while the Paye Suah Estate, administered by Fred Suah (defendant) is represented by the Garlawolu and Associates Law Firm.
Speaking during the reading of the investigative survey report on February 4, 2023, surveyor Kollie explained before parties’ legal counsels that the Center for National Documents and Record Agency (CNDRA) has confirmed Mr. Fred Suah’s documents.
Mr. Suah claimed that his land commences at a sour-sap tree adjacent the Ganta United Methodist Mission block and runs straight down to the St. John River block. Meanwhile, the diagram is just some portion of the six angles on the deed which is an error from the draft’s man.
The resident surveyor added in her report that the Ganta United Methodist Mission’s deed is not completed which means that it is not probated and registered with a page and volume number by law which is disadvantageous to them and that the deed they presented contained 512.86 acres of land instead of the land.
Speaking, surveyor Kollie disclosed further that the Ganta United Methodist Mission’s deed form is well labeled with adjoining parties and names including the Gbeisela reserved but at the back moving toward the St. John River belt, there are no mentioned adjoining property owners and this is the area Mr. Paye Suah’s deed is claiming.
Speaking under the watchful eyes of Judge Dahn, surveyor Kollie made the following recommendations to the court that Fred Suah, should plant indicators (corner stones) at his various identified point to avoid future land dispute.
She further stated that the Ganta United Methodist Mission should resurvey their land using global positioning system (GPS) to legally obtain a flag deed to avoid future land dispute.
After reading the report in open court, Counsellor Fred Suah thanked the court that he accepted the outcome of the surveyor’s report while Ganta Methodist Mission which is the plaintiff’s legal counsel, accepted by notice; that they will take advantage of the statue made and provided in such instance.
Speaking in separate remarks, Judge Dahn thanked surveyor Susannah Kollie for performing her statutory duty and reminded her that at any time the court will call on her if the need arises.
