GYIMAH AND OTHERS vs. AGYEMAN AND ANOTHER [1980]DLHC1585

Date	1980-04-14
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1980]DLHC1585

ROGER KORSAH J.

EWUSI-WILSON FOR THE APPLICANT.

A. H. SACKEYFIO FOR THE RESPONDENTS.

[1980]DLHC1585
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >GYIMAH AND OTHERS <o:p></o:p>vs. <o:p></o:p>AGYEMAN AND ANOTHER<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT, KUMASI] <o:p></o:p>[1980] GLR 427<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:
14
APRIL 1980<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">

EWUSI-WILSON FOR THE APPLICANT.<o:p></o:p>

A. H. SACKEYFIO FOR THE RESPONDENTS.<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">

ROGER KORSAH J.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF ROGER KORSAH J.<o:p></o:p>By this
originating summons, fourteen councillors of the Kumasi City Council, request a
construction of the statutes relating to the office of an executive chairman of
a local council, and in particular, the application of those statutes to
determine the duration of the term of office of the first respondent as the
Executive Chairman of the Kumasi City Council.<o:p></o:p>The
applicants herein claim that upon a proper construction or application or both
of the said enactments they are entitled to the following declarations:<o:p></o:p>(a) That
the term of office of the first respondent is one year;<o:p></o:p>(b) That
the term of office of the first respondent has expired;<o:p></o:p>(c) That
the right resides in the councillors to appoint one of their number as the
Chairman of the<o:p></o:p>Kumasi
City Council; and<o:p></o:p>(d) That section
8A of the Local Government Act, 1971 (Act 359), contravenes article 182 (4) of
the<o:p></o:p>Constitution,
1979.<o:p></o:p>Put in a
nutshell, the events leading up to this application are that, the first
respondent was on 2 December 1977, appointed the Executive Chairman of the
Kumasi City Council under and by virtue of section 8 of the Local
Administration Act, 1971 (Act 359), as amended by sections 8 and 8A of the
Local Administration (Amendment) Decree, 1974 (N.R.C.D. 258). The first
respondent occupied the said office until 18 January 1979. On 19 January 1979,
the Supreme Military Council re-appointed him as the executive chairman of the
said city council with effect from the date of the instrument of appointment,
i.e. 19 January 1979. And he has held that office from that date up to the
present moment.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>In both
letters informing him of his appointment, the last paragraph reads:<o:p></o:p>“Your
salary and other conditions of service will be communicated to you in due
course. In the meantime, I am to request you to inform me, without delay,
whether you accept this offer of appointment.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Both
letters were exhibited by the first respondent, but he claims to have received
no communication regarding other conditions of service except a letter
addressed to the Executive Chairman of the three city councils of Accra,
Sekondi-Takoradi and Kumasi, which reads:<o:p></o:p>“APPOINTMENT
OF EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN I wish to refer you to my letter No. CC/A/70 SF.VII dated
19th January, 1979, in relation to the above-mentioned subject and to inform
you that the Head of State and Chairman of the Supreme Military Council has
approved that the Executive Chairman of Accra, Kumasi and Sekondi-Takoradi City
Councils be paid a salary of ¢10,466 per annum (Consolidated) plus a
non-taxable duty allowance of ¢2,000 per annum. 2. A copy of letter No.
SCR-04/29/TJ dated 27th March is attached hereto, for your information.” This
letter dated 6 April 1979, fixing the salary of an executive chairman was also
exhibited by the first respondent, but without the attachment d</main>