ABABIO AND OTHERS vs. MENSAH AND OTHERS [1988]DLSC234

Date	1988-11-24
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1988]DLSC234

SOWAH C.J.

TAYLOR J.S.C.

FRANCOIS J.S.C.

WUAKU J.S.C.

AMUA-SEKYI J.S.C.

OBENG-MANU FOR THE APPLICANTS.

A. MMIEH FOR THE RESPONDENTS.

<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation"  hidden>[1988]DLSC234</p>
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span style="font-size:
12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0">ABABIO AND
OTHERS</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:
&quot;Helvetica&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;color:#00B0F0"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span style="font-size:
12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0">vs.</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;color:#00B0F0"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: center; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:Helvetica;color:#00B0F0">MENSAH AND OTHERS</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Helvetica&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;color:#00B0F0"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: center; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></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:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">[1989-90] 1 GLR
560&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;</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">DATE: 24</span><sup><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">TH</span></sup><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;"> NOVEMBER, 1988</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">COUNSEL:
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">OBENG-MANU FOR THE APPLICANTS.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">A. MMIEH FOR THE RESPONDENTS.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">CORAM:
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">SOWAH C.J., TAYLOR, FRANCOIS, WUAKU AND</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">AMUA-SEKYI JJ.S.C.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
115%;mso-outline-level:1"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></b></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">AMUA-SEKYI J.S.C.</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">He delivered the ruling of the
majority of the court. The first applicant, Nana Prako Ababio (hereafter called
the applicants), was at one time the undisputed chief of Techimantia. In
December 1977 he abdicated from the stool, thus opening the way for another
person to be enstooled in his stead. He however claimed to have been
re-enstooled. To contest this the respondents, who are apparently kingmakers of
Techimantia, issued a writ against him and two others at the High Court,
Sunyani for declaratory reliefs and an injunction. They followed this up with a
successful application to the chieftaincy tribunal of the Brong-Ahafo Regional
House of Chiefs for an order impounding the black stool and other stool
paraphernalia.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">When the High Court declined
jurisdiction in the action pending before it, the applicant invited the regional
house of chiefs to restore the stool paraphernalia to him and, when this was
refused, he lodged an appeal against the decision with the National House of
Chiefs. The appeal failed and the applicant filed a motion asking for leave to
appeal to this court. While the motion was pending the respondents obtained
from the regional house of chiefs an order transferring the stool paraphernalia
to one Nana Kofi Oti Akenten who, they claimed, was the new Techimantiahene.
When the motion for leave came up for hearing, the National House of Chiefs
granted leave and at the same time restored the first order of the regional
house that the stool paraphernalia be kept by that house.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 115%; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial;</main>