ROSA BUERKI NANOR vs. ARCHIBOLD NANOR [2009]DLHC4297

Date	2009-04-22
Suit No.	SUIT NO. BDMC/191/06
Citation No.	[2009]DLHC4297

KWABENA ASUMAN-ADU

MS. EFFIBA AMIHERE FOR THE PETITIONER

MR. ROBERT ALLOH FOR THE RESPONDENT

[2009]DLHC4297
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><a name="OLE_LINK1">ROSA BUERKI NANOR<o:p></o:p></a>vs.<o:p></o:p>ARCHIBOLD NANOR<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[HIGH COURT (INDUSTRIAL/LABOUR DIVISION),
ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 2.0pt 0in">

SUIT NO.
BDMC/191/06&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; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;DATE: 22ND
APRIL, 2009 <o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>MS. EFFIBA AMIHERE FOR THE
PETITIONER<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">

</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">

KWABENA
ASUMAN-ADU, JUSTICE
OF THE HIGH COURT<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>The parties to this suit
married under the customary law in 1979 and under the Ordinance Cap 127 on 16th
September, 1982. After the ordinance marriage, the parties who are both
Ghanaians and were both teachers cohabited in Niger. Whilst the Respondent went
to Niger on secondment by the Ghana Government so he was teaching in that
country, the Petitioner secured no job so she stayed there for three years
without working. So when they came to Ghana in 1985, she refused to return to
Niger. Respondent, therefore, left the Petitioner and the children in Ghana and
he returned to Niger.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The Petitioner then
entered the textile business and became very successful as a result of which,
she acquired a number of properties in Accra including the matrimonial home
where both the Petitioner and the Respondent resided when he returned to Ghana
from Niger. After living together for some time, the marriage developed
problems so the parties lived in separate rooms in the same house for about
twelve years before the filing of this suit in 2006.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Around 2006 when the
Respondent had retired from the Ghana Education Service he suffered a mild
stroke and was admitted to the 37 Military Hospital. When he was discharged
from the hospital he did not return to the matrimonial home. Rather, he went to
live at his family house at Ada where he has since been living.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The Petitioner then
filed a petition for divorce and custody of all the minor children of the
marriage on ground that the marriage has broken down beyond reconciliation. The
parties have five children with three of them aged 18years and below whilst two
of them are aged 25years and 23years respectively.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>In his answer to the
petition, the Respondent consented to the dissolution of the marriage and
pleaded with the court to order that the following properties acquired during
the marriage be conveyed to him:<o:p></o:p><ol style="margin-top:0in" start="1" type="a">
 <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1;
 border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
 yes">The
 matrimonial home;<o:p></o:p></li>
 <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1;
 border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
 yes">One of
 the houses acquired by the petitioner during the marriage;<o:p></o:p></li>
 <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1;
 border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
 yes">4-Walled
 plots acquired by the petitioner during the marriage.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>On 7th March,
2007 the marriage between the parties was dissolved and the suit adjourned for
the determination of the ancillary reliefs and custody of the children. Both
parties gave evidence on the issues for determination and this court is to
decide on the said issues in this judgment.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The Petitioner told the
court in his evidence-in-chief that in the course of the marriage, she acquired
H/No. DNT/6 Oko Village Dome which served as the matrimonial home. She </main>