NKONNUA vs. ANAAFI [1961]DLHC5429

Date	1961-10-06
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1961]DLHC5429

OLLENNU J.

W. OFORI ATTA FOR THE PLAINTIFF.

BREDU-PABI FOR THE DEFENDANT.

[1961]DLHC5429
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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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#548DD4">NKONNUA<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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#548DD4">&nbsp;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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#548DD4">ANAAFI<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#548DD4">&nbsp;[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<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">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">[1961] GLR 559&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;DATE:<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0"> 6TH OCTOBER, 1961.<o:p></o:p>

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

W.
OFORI ATTA FOR THE PLAINTIFF.<o:p></o:p>

BREDU-PABI
FOR THE DEFENDANT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM: <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid black 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>In this case, the plaintiff claims that she is the Queen-mother of
the Odau Division in Akyem Abuakwa, and the head of the Aduana royal family of
Otwereso and Osenase. She claims declaration that the land and farm thereon,
subject-matter of this suit, is the property of her said family, the royal
Aduana family; she also claims an order for recovery of possession of, and
mesne profits from the said farm.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>She pleaded that the said land was originally cultivated by
members of her family, Adwoa Anto, Yaw Baduo and Kwasi Ayebiahene or Ayebiafwe,
when it was forest land, and later her uncle, the late Nana Obeng Akese,
developed the land into a cocoa farm; she further pleaded that the defendant
who is not a member of her said family has wrongfully taken possession of the
said farm, and has refused upon demand to surrender it to the family.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The defendant admitted the allegation of the plaintiff that he was
in possession of the farm, but denied all the other averments of fact made in
the plaintiff’s statement of claim. He pleaded that the farm in dispute was
cultivated by Nana Obeng Akese while he was on the Osenase stool, and that the
people of Osenase helped Nana Akese to make the farm; and further that in any
event, the said farm is property of the stool, because the same was cultivated
by Nana Obeng Akese while he was the occupant of the Osenase stool, and
therefore by customary law it became merged into stool property upon the
abdication or demise of the said Nana Akese.<o:p></o:p>The issues raised upon those pleadings therefore are:<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">(1) is the plaintiff the head of the Aduana royal family of
Otwereso and Osenase;<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">(2) Did Nana Akese cultivate the virgin forest to make the farm in
dispute or did he develop a family farmstead into the cocoa farm;<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">&nbsp;(3) If it was a virgin
forest which he cultivated was Nana Obeng Akese assisted by the Oman of Osenase
to cultivate the farms;<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">(4) If Nana Obeng Akese was not assisted by the Oman in making the
farm, are the circumstances about the making of the farm such that in law the
farm should be regarded as having become stool property.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The trial proceeded on these lines until the second witness for
the defendant came into the witness-box. From then on the story changed
completely. The case put up by the defence from that moment up to the close of
their case is that the farm was cultivated by the Oman of Osenase, that Nana
Obeng Akese had nothing to do with its cultivation, he never at any time had
possession of it, and he never at any time claimed ownership of it.<o:p></o:p>