<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation" hidden>[1999]DLHC507</p> <div class="restriction-wrapper"> <div class="container-lg"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-12 restricted-content"> <div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper"> <div class="lock-icon bounce-7"> <img class="" src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png" alt="Subscription based content"> </div> </div> <a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login" class="btn btn-primary btn-lg" style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> Login to Read Full Case </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center; mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; color:#00B0F0">OWUSU ALIAS KAYEYA<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center; mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center; mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; color:#00B0F0">NYAMEKYE<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center; mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">[HIGH COURT, KUMASI]<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center; mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">[1999-2000] 1 GLR 500<o:p></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"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:right; mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">DATE: 22 JANUARY 1999<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination: none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow: yes"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">COUNSEL:<o:p></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"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination: none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in; mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">PEPRAH NYANTAKYI FOR THE PLAINTIFF<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination: none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in; mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">RICHARD ASAMAOAH FOR THE DEFENDANT<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination: none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow: yes"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">CORAM: <o:p></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"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination: none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in; mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">QUAYE J<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center; mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">JUDGMENT OF QUAYE J.<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination: none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow: yes"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">The facts in this case are that the plaintiff is blind in both eyes. He claims to be the last surviving member of his maternal family. The said family was originated from the plaintiff’s ancestress by name Afia Biraso. The said ancestress, according to the version proferred by the plaintiff, gave birth to two children, a male and a female. The name of the male ancestor of the plaintiff was Opanin Kwaku Kodua, and that of the female was Abena Serwaa. Abena Serwaa had an issue, Ama Bio, an only child. The record did not indicate that Afia Biraso had any sister. Up to that stage therefore, the family comprised only Afia Biraso, Kwaku Kodua, Abena Serwaa and Ama Bio. Under Akan customary law, any children born to Kwaku Kodua did not belong to the family for the purposes of succession since the Akan society was matrilineal. Thus the children of a male member would belong to the family of their mother. Ama Bio had three issues comprising two male children and one female child. They were Kwaku Manu, Akwasi Kobi, who was also variously called E K Adu or Akwasi Charlie, and their sister was Akosua Serwaa alias Ntontia. By keeping faith with custom, any child born to either of Akosua Serwaa’s brothers would not belong to the family to which their fathers belonged. No account was given about children of Kwaku Manu, if he had any. However, none of the ten or more children of Akwasi Kobi by custom belonged to the family under review. Akosua Serwaa alias Nkontia had two children, a male and a female. The female child was Akua Tiwaa. She died early and childless. Her brother was Kwasi Owusu also known as Kayeya, the herein plaintiff.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination: none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow: yes"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">The evidence shows that Opanin Kwaku Koduah cultivated three farms. Two of the three farms were at Subinano and Kwakyeabo both on Techiman stool land. The other farm was at Mmowire, the hometown of Afia Biraso and all her descendants in the matrilineal. In addition to the farms, Opanin Kwaku Kodua built house No MM 60A at Mbrom, Kumasi. When he died in 1950, the family appointed his nephew, Akwasi Kobi to succeed him. The customary law position is that when a person dies intestate, his estate becomes family property. It is in furtherance of this principle that the family is clothed with jurisdiction to appoint a member of the family to inherit him in trust for the whole family. The fact that Akwasi Kobi was appointed to and, indeed, succeeded his uncle Kwaku Kodua was not disputed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination: none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow: yes"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">It is contended by the plaintiff that all the members of his matrilineal family had died, leaving him as the only survivor. His own mother, Akosua Serwaa predeceased his grandmother Ama Bio. When Ama Bio died subsequently, Akwasi Kobi succeeded her because there was no other candidate in the female line. Akwasi Kobi died on 14 November 1989. Although Akwasi Kobi was survived by his children, they are not members of their father’s maternal family. By this calculation therefore, the plaintiff is the only surviving member of that family. He contends therefore that his succession to the family estate is without contest.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination: none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow: yes"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">The claim of the plaintiff notwithstanding, the defendant, at the 40th day funeral obsequies of Akwasi Kobi, declared publicly to the members of the extended family that the deceased had nominated him, the defendant, to customarily succeed him. This declaration was displeasing to the plaintiff and he registered his displeasure by walking away in protest after he had challenged the said claim to succession by the defendant. After that, the plaintiff sought the intervention of the Mmowirehene and the Mmowirehemaa for the vindication of his rights to the succession. It is the plaintiff’s case that he is the only surviving direct maternal nephew of Akwasi Kobi, and also that the defendant is not a relative of Opanin Kwaku Kodua nor a family member of Opanin Akwasi Kobi.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination: none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow: yes"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">It is a fact that the defendant joined issues with the plaintiff, more specifically in respect to the claim that the plaintiff is the only survivor of Opanin Kwaku Kodua and Akwasi Kobi. In paragraphs (4) and (5) of the statement of defence which was filed on 1 March 1993 the defendant categorically denied the assertion of the plaintiff. He stated that:<o:p></o:p></span></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"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">“(4) Paragraphs (5) and (6) of the statement of claim are denied. <o:p></o:p></span></i></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"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">(5) In answer to the plaintiff’s said paragraphs (5) and (6) the defendant avers that he is also a grandnephew of the late Opanin Kwaku Kodua and Emmanuel Akwasi Adu of Mmowire.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination: none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow: yes"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">Further to the averments contained in his pleadings, the defendant gave evidence under oath and claimed that the plaintiff is his brother. His reference to the family tree was that the family originated from Madam Amoakoaa who gave birth to Kwaku Kodua and three sisters namely, Abena Serwaa, Abena Kwabena and Abena Pomaa. Of the thr</main>
