THE REPUBLIC vs. ATTORNEY-GENERAL, NENE OSROAGBO DJANGMAH II AND LOWER KPONE ROYAL HOUSE Ex PARTE: NENE TEI DJANGMAH IX [2011]DLCA7949

THE REPUBLIC vs. ATTORNEY-GENERAL, NENE OSROAGBO DJANGMAH II AND LOWER KPONE ROY... [2011]DLCA7949

Date	2011-01-27
Suit No.	SUIT NO.HI/78/2010
Citation No.	[2011]DLCA7949

ASARE KORANG J.A. (PRESIDING)

APPAU J.A.

OFOE J.A.

MR. ADDO ATUAH FOR APPLICANT/RESPONDENT

MAJOR (RTD) T.A. DARTEY FOR INTERESTED PARTY

[2011]DLCA7949
																																						<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" >THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p>ATTORNEY-GENERAL,
NENE OSROAGBO DJANGMAH II AND LOWER KPONE ROYAL HOUSE<o:p></o:p>(INTERESTERED
PARTY/RESPONDENT/APPELLENT)<o:p></o:p>Ex PARTE: NENE
TEI DJANGMAH IX<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

SUIT
NO.HI/78/2010&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; &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: 27TH
JANUARY, 2011<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL: <o:p></o:p>MR.
ADDO ATUAH FOR APPLICANT/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

MAJOR
(RTD) T.A. DARTEY FOR INTERESTED PARTY<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:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

ASARE
KORANG J.A. (PRESIDING), APPAU J.A., OFOE J.A.<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">RULING<o:p></o:p>

</div>OFOE, J.A.<o:p></o:p>The record of appeal in this case discloses the
very sorry state in which the State of Ningo finds itself. The traditional
authorities have gotten themselves embroiled in a prolonged chieftaincy dispute
running through the adjudicatory ladder, apparently, without any end in sight.&nbsp; Not even the death after death of some of the
parties to this litigation is ameliorating the deleterious situation attending this
traditionally embarrassing and socio-economically fruitless battle.&nbsp; From the record of appeal it is not easy to
decipher who the real “warriors” in this protracted litigation are. Are they the unseen hands of some recalcitrant indigenes
of the land of Ningo, the lawyers, ignorance and illiteracy or sheer mischief?
Respect for tradition and traditional authorities will be waning if such
retrogressive merry go round court rooms and other adjudicating bodies does not
cease. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;There
are two royal houses vying for the stool of Ningo: the &nbsp;Lower Adainya and the Lower Kponor royal
houses. Lower is sometimes spelt Loweh and Kponor also sometimes spelt Kpono. From
the records, the parties who have been involved in the dispute are Nene Tei
Djangmah IX from Lower Adainya Royal House, Nene Osroagbo Djangmah II
(deceased) from Lower Adainya and Nene Ado Huago IV from Lower Kponor.<o:p></o:p>On the 9th of August, the Judicial
Committee of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs gave judgment declaring
the abdication of Nene Osroagbo Djangmah II valid and declaring the enstoolment
of Nene Tei Djangmah IX irregular, uncustomary and therefore defective.&nbsp; It declared the next ruling house of the two
royal houses, Lower Kponor eligible to install the chief of Great Ningo. Nene
Osroagbo Djangmah II was dissatisfied with the ruling and appealed to the
National House of Chiefs.&nbsp; It appears
Nene Tei Djangmah IX was not interested in the appeal which went first to the
National House of Chiefs and then to the Supreme Court. He claims it was the
registrar who stultified his right of appeal. On this issue the Supreme Court
in its judgment stated that Nene Tei Djangmah IX could not appeal to the
National House of Chiefs because he was not able to fulfill the conditions of
appeal and his application to the National House of Chiefs for extension of
time was refused. One would have thought that this position of the Supreme
Court should have settled the complaint of respondent that it is the Registrar
who stultified his right of appeal. This issue is however not immediately
relevant to this appeal. The National House of Chiefs reversed the decision of
Regional House of Chiefs and found that the abdication of Nene Osroagbo
Djangmah II was not valid and therefore ineffective.&nbsp; It declared Nene Osroagbo Djangmah II still
the paramount chief of Great Ningo.&nbsp; Tetteh
Huago IV of the Lower Kponor Royal House and others were aggrieved by this
decision of the National House of Chiefs and appealed to the Supreme
Court.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>On the 11th of June, 1997, the
Supreme Court delivered its judg</main>