The Gbese Mantse, Nii Ayi-Bonte II, has used the 150th anniversary launch of the Supreme Court of Ghana to press a longstanding demand for compensation over lands seized from the Gbese people under British colonial rule, arguing that major national institutions in Accra sit on territory taken without adequate settlement.
Speaking through a representative at the ceremony held on April 16, 2026, at the CEDI Conference Centre, University of Ghana, Legon, the traditional ruler said the Gbese stool’s contribution to Ghana’s institutional landscape obliged the state to respond with fairness.
“We want to use this opportunity to appeal for government to consider the payment of compensation to many Gbese lands acquired under the British colonial administration,” he said.
Nii Ayi-Bonte II traced the issue to 1875, when British colonial authorities acquired significant portions of Gbese land to develop the capital of the then-Gold Coast. He identified the Supreme Court itself, the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB), the Old Parliament House and other public agencies as institutions built on land that originally belonged to the Gbese stool.
Beyond compensation, the Mantse called on government to return portions of acquired land no longer serving their original purpose, saying such parcels could generate development and improve livelihoods within the Gbese area.
Despite the demand, Nii Ayi-Bonte II signalled continued goodwill toward the state. He said his administration had already made additional land available to support the expansion of court facilities in Accra and its surroundings, and pledged further cooperation with the Judicial Service where land needs arose within Gbese jurisdiction.
He also called on the judiciary to actively support the emergence of legal professionals from the Gbese community, including judges and lawyers, to ensure the area is represented within the institutions that stand on its ancestral land.
House of Chiefs President Nana Kobina Nketsia V attended the event, which was also joined by the Deputy Attorney General, the Deputy Chief of Staff, former Speaker Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, senior judges and members of Parliament. The anniversary is being held under the theme “Honouring the Past, Celebrating the Present and Defining the Future,” with a full programme of commemorative activities scheduled for July 2026.
