The Wa Municipal Assembly (WMA) and two others have been hauled before the Wa High Court over plans to demolish the Tendamba Primary School to make way for a 24-hour economy market.
The lawsuit, filed on April 27, 2026, by leaders of the Sokpare family, challenges the Assembly’s right to repurpose the land without their express consent
The Plaintiffs: Four prominent members of the Sokpare family, representing three out of the four family gates, led by Mahama Issaka Moguna.
The Defendants: The Wa Municipal Assembly, Abu Iddrisu (Head of Puohunyiri family), and Mba Issah Bayoung Suuri (alleged Head of the Balun clan).
The Core Claim: The Sokpare family asserts they are the allodial owners of the land, which they claim their ancestor settled as the first resident of Wa. They maintain that the land was granted to the government in the 1950s strictly for educational purposes.
The family is asking the High Court for several declarations and orders:
Protection of the School: A perpetual injunction to stop the government or the Assembly from demolishing or relocating Tendamba Primary School.
Ownership Rights: A formal declaration that the government cannot change the land’s use without the Sokpare family’s approval.
Defamation Damages: The family is seeking damages and a public apology from the 2nd and 3rd defendants, alleging that a February 2026 press statement portrayed them as “rebels” and “misfits” for opposing the market project.
According to court documents, the Assembly proposed the demolition of the school during a meeting in 2025. While the Sokpare family immediately opposed the move and suggested the market be built elsewhere, they allege the Assembly conspired with the other defendants to misrepresent who the rightful landowners are to push the project forward.
A motion for an interlocutory injunction, which would halt all work on the site until the case is decided, is scheduled to be heard in court today, Monday, May 4, 2026.
The community and the “discerning” listeners of Radio Waa will be watching closely as the court determines the fate of one of the municipality’s long-standing educational institutions.
