April 18, 1997

SGI-Ghana Wins in Land Dispute With Temple

By Dave McNeill
Managing Editor

Santa Monica, Calif., April 9

A government commission in Ghana today settled a four-year-old land dispute between SGI-Ghana and Nichiren Shoshu members by unanimously confirming SGI-Ghana?s ownership of a community center and accompanying land in Accra, Ghana, according to a Seikyo Shimbun report.

The dispute arose because of the Ghana organization?s change of names. According to the Soka Gakkai newspaper report, in 1989 the SGI organization in Ghana changed its legal name from Nichiren Shoshu-Ghana to Nichiren Shoshu Soka Gakkai of Ghana in order to clarify its affiliation with the SGI. In 1993, the organization once again changed its corporate name to SGI-Ghana to reflect the SGI?s excommunication by Nichiren Shoshu.

Near the end of 1992, Nichiren Shoshu organized those who had left the SGI and incorporated an organization called Nichiren Shoshu of Ghana. Under this new name, they claimed ownership of the Ghana Community Center.

SGI-Ghana lodged a complaint with a land dispute arbitration commission, which examined the case for two years before arriving at today?s verdict.

“[The recent verdict] reveals that in light of the laws of society, Nichiren Shoshu clearly goes against Buddhism,” SGI-Ghana General Director Bobson M. Godonu said. “From now on as well, we will continue to move forward as we promote kosen-rufu as the Daishonin?s disciples. At the same time, we will not tolerate any wrongdoing by Nichiren Shoshu.”