KANGAH & ANOTHER vs. KYERE & OTHERS [1982]DLSC2145

Date	1982-03-31
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1982]DLSC2145

APALOO C.J.

SOWAH JSC

ARCHER JSC

ANIN JSC

CHARLES CRABBE JSC

ADADE JSC

TAYLOR J.S.C.

[1982]DLSC2145
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >KANGAH &amp; ANOTHER <o:p></o:p>vs. <o:p></o:p>KYERE &amp; OTHERS <o:p></o:p>[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[1982-83] GLR 649<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:
31 MARCH 1982<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">

<o:p>&nbsp;</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 1.0pt 0in">

APALOO C.J. SOWAH, ARCHER, ANIN,
CHARLES CRABBE, ADADE AND TAYLOR JJ.S.C.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF TAYLOR J.S.C.<o:p></o:p>Taylor
J.S.C. delivered the opinion of the court. This is a chieftaincy suit commenced
by a petition headed, “In the Judicial Committee of the Western Regional House
of Chiefs.” The matter came before the chieftaincy tribunal of the said house
and they have referred the suit to us for an opinion as to whether or not they
have jurisdiction to entertain the suit having regard to the apparent forum
selected by the petitioners. The petitioners claim to be joint heads of the
Abrashiem Ebiradzi family of Sekondi duly elected by the five houses of the
family and properly authorised to convene a meeting of the said family for the
purpose of nominating a candidate for the vacant paramount stool of the Sekondi
Traditional Area.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>They
claim in their petition that their status and authority have been confirmed by
the findings of a number of committees of inquiry and the judgments of the
Western Regional House of Chiefs, the National House of Chiefs and the Court of
Appeal. They said that though the family had not met to nominate a candidate,
nevertheless, the first and second respondents had met and purported to have
nominated, elected, confined and enstooled the third respondent as the Omanhene
of the Sekondi Traditional Area. They maintained further that by a letter dated
16 July 1980 the second respondent had informed them that they had a
queenmother known as Nana Araba Adadzewa II who had been gazetted. In the
circumstance they filed a petition as already indicated claiming against the
respondents:<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</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">“(a)
Declaration that the nomination, confinement, and enstoolment of the third
respondent as Omanhene-elect of the Sekondi Traditional Area is null, void and
of no effect as being against the custom and usages of the Sekondi Traditional
Area. <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">(b)
Declaration that the first and second respondents have no authority by the
custom and usages of the Sekondi Traditional Area to nominate, confine and
enstool anybody as Omanhene of Sekondi, and that such nomination, election and
installation of Omanhene of the Sekondi Traditional Area is the customary
preserve of the Abrashiem Ebiradzi royal family of Sekondi of which the
petitioners are the heads.<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;(c) Perpetual injunction restraining the third
respondent from holding himself out as Omanhene of the Sekondi Traditional Area
and performing functions of such Omanhene, and perpetual injunction restraining
the first and second respondents from recognising the third respondent as such
Omanhene and from taking steps towards his recognition as such. <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">(d)
Declaration that the nomination, election and installation of Nana Adadzewa II
as queenmother of the Sekondi Traditional Area is null, void and of no effect
as being against the custom and usages of the Sekondi Traditional Area. <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">(e)
Declaration that succession to the paramount stool of the Sekondi Traditional
Area revolves among the five houses of the Abrashiem Ebiradzi royal family of
Sekondi Traditional Area, namely John Fie house, Yalleh Eku house, Mensah Kuma
house, Kobina Ekuwoho house and Anaisie house.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The first
respondent denies that the petitioners have capacity to initiate proceedings
but the substantive case of the other respondents is that the first option to
nominate a candidate for the Dutch Sekondi Paramountcy lies with the Abrashiem
Ebiradzi family. When that family fails to exercise its option as it claims happened
in the instant case, the oman has the final right which it has duly exercised.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>It is not
necessary</main>