NGMATI vs. ADETSIA & ORS. [1959]DLHC2028

Date	1959-09-29
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1959]DLHC2028

OLLENNU J.

PLAINTIFF IN PERSON.

SOWAH (WITH HIM OKAI) FOR THE DEFENDANTS AND THE 1ST CO-DEFENDANT.

2ND CO-DEFENDANT IN PERSON.

[1959]DLHC2028
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:Times;color:#548DD4;mso-themecolor:text2;mso-themetint:
153">NGMATI <o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:Times;color:#548DD4;mso-themecolor:text2;mso-themetint:
153">vs. <o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:Times;color:#548DD4;mso-themecolor:text2;mso-themetint:
153">ADETSIA &amp; ORS.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[HIGH COURT (LANDS DIVISION), ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[1959] GLR 323<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

DATE:
29TH SEPTEMBER, 1959..<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

PLAINTIFF
IN PERSON.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:
<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

OLLENNU J.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF OLLENNU J.<o:p></o:p>(His
lordship stated the history of the matter, and continued:-)<o:p></o:p>The
evidence led by the plaintiff and his witnesses was that about 200 years ago, while
the Krobos were still living on the Krobo Hill, his ancestors farmed a portion
of the land round about that hill. This was not challenged by the defendants or
by the 1st co-defendant. They appeared not to know whether or not
the plaintiff’s family owned a portion of the Okwenya lands, which form part of
the lands in the plains round and about the hill. A very feeble attempt was
made by the 2nd&nbsp; co-defendant
to challenge the plaintiff’s evidence as to his ancestors’ acquisition of the
land. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>What the defendants
and the 1st co-defendant say is that the whole of the land at
Okwenya belong to the Konor of Manya Krobo, and that the plaintiff’s ancestors
could not have farmed that land to acquire title to the same, they being Yilo
and not Menya Krobo subjects.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
implication of the tradition as to the mode of acquisition of the lands, is
that the boundary between the lands of the two Stools must be identical with
the boundary between the farms of subjects of one Stool farming from one
direction, and the farms of subjects of the other Stool farming from the opposite
direction to meet the former. The situation was summarised by the 1st&nbsp; co-defendant (Chief Sackitey) in his answers
to the Court, as follows:-<o:p></o:p>“ Both
Yilo Krobos and Manya Krobos were occupying the Krobo Hill before they were
driven down to the plains. The two Krobos separated when they came down from
the hill.<o:p></o:p>The two
peoples lived separately on the hill, not as one community. Both the Manya
Krobo people and Yilo Krobo people were farming communities, and their subjects
farmed the land round about the hill.<o:p></o:p>Q.
According to customs what would happen to lands which each person farmed in
those days after the death of that man who farmed it?<o:p></o:p>A. They
would become the property of the descendants of the person who farmed it
originally.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">“Unoccupied
land which is round about an area which a Stool settles upon, and which the
subjects of the Stool cultivate, comes to be regarded as property of the Stool.
But the portion which any one so farmed also remains ancestral property for his
descendant. Both the Yilos and Manyas got to the land by migration, and found
it unoccupied by any other tribe. From the way the two Krobo communities lived
and farmed the area, the only way in which a boundary between lands of their
Paramount Stools can be determined is by following farm boundaries between land
farmed by th</main>