EBUSUA PANYIN KWA KAKRABA [2012]DLSC2589

Date	2012-04-18
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/50/2010
Citation No.	[2012]DLSC2589

ADINYIRA (MRS.) JSC (PRESIDING)

ROSE OWUSU JSC

DOTSE JSC

ANIN YEBOAH JSC

GBADEGBE JSC

SOMUAH ASAMOAH FOR THE APPELLANT.

CAB ADDAE FOR THE RESPONDENT.

[2012]DLSC2589
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >EBUSUA PANYIN KWA
KAKRABA<o:p></o:p>&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; vs.<o:p></o:p>KWESI BO<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<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">

CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/50/2010&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;DATE: 18TH APRIL,
2012<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&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; <o:p></o:p>SOMUAH ASAMOAH FOR THE
APPELLANT.<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">

CAB ADDAE FOR THE RESPONDENT. <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;
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ADINYIRA (MRS.) JSC (PRESIDING), ROSE OWUSU JSC,
DOTSE JSC, ANIN YEBOAH JSC, GBADEGBE JSC<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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JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>ANIN
YEBOAH, JSC;<o:p></o:p>This is an appeal from the Court of Appeal, Accra,
which affirmed the judgment of the High Court, Cape Coast.&nbsp; In these proceedings the appellant herein who
sued as plaintiff claimed for a declaration to the effect that as an overall
head of the Royal Adwenadzi family of Edukrom he is the proper person to deal
with the lands in Edukrom.&nbsp; Other reliefs
to the effect that the land the subject matter of the dispute is vested in the
overall head of family by virtue of a judgment and other reliefs which are ancillary
were also sought.&nbsp; The plaintiff endorsed
his writ as suing for himself and on behalf of the Royal Adwenadzi family of
Edukrom.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>In a lengthy statement of claim which accompanied
the writ of Summons, the appellant traced the root of &nbsp;title of the family to pre-colonial times and
asserted that ever since his ancestors migrated from Techiman to settle on the
land, they had enjoyed undisturbed possession. According to the appellant it
has always been the custom that the land in dispute is vested in the overall
head of the family and the respondent herein (as the defendant at the High
Court), who is an ordinary member of the family has no right to asset ownership
of the land to alienate portions thereof.&nbsp;
Several suits which the appellant claims to have been decided in his
favour were pleaded to establish that the respondent had no right to assert
ownership as he was not the overall head of family and for that matter the
respondent is estopped per rem judicata by virtue of the judgment of William J.
sitting at the High Court, Cape Coast.&nbsp;
He further alleged that he was the family member who performed the
customary rites concerning the burial of Kwesi Yaa and bore the funeral
expenses.&nbsp; By that very fact he was the
customary successor of Kwesi Yaa and therefore the head of the Royal Adwenadzi
family of Edukrom.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The respondent as defendant at the trial court in
response to the statement of claim filed a statement of defence traversing most
of the allegations.&nbsp; He denied the
appellant’s leadership of the family even though he admitted that both of them
are members of the same family.&nbsp; He
pleaded that his section or branch of the Adwenadzi family, (that is, Edu
Abekwa section) were the original settlers on the Edukrom land and they were
later joined by the appellant’s section, that is Apentsen Kwakwa section.&nbsp; He contended that as original settlers, the
respondents section is the rightful one to select an overall head of the
amalgamated family and the only instance where a member of the appellant’s
section was appointed was due to the fact that there was no elderly person from
the respondent’s section.&nbsp; The respondent
also pleaded the decision of Williams J, the Abura Traditional Council judgment
and the Circuit Court case which ended at the Court of Appeal involving the two
sections, in support of his case.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>At the trial court, few issues were set down to be
determined before Justice Nana Gyamerah Tawiah.&nbsp;
A</main>