KWASI APENTENG & 78 ORS vs. GHANA COMMERICAL BANK [2013]DLCA5249

Date	2013-01-17
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL SUIT NO: H1/192/2012
Citation No.	[2013]DLCA5249

M OWUSU J.A (PRESIDING)

GYAESAYOR J.A

DZAMEFE J.A

MR. GAYLORD KEMVOR FOR THE APPELLANT/RESPONDENTS

NANA SEKYINAA FOR THE RESPONDENTS/APPELLANTS

[2013]DLCA5249
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >KWASI APENTENG &amp; 78 ORS <o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/APPLICANTS/RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>GHANA COMMERICAL BANK <o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)<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;
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CIVIL
APPEAL SUIT NO: H1/192/2012&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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: 17TH JANUARY,
2013<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MR. GAYLORD KEMVOR FOR THE
APPELLANT/RESPONDENTS<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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NANA
SEKYINAA FOR THE RESPONDENTS/APPELLANTS<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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M
OWUSU J.A (PRESIDING), GYAESAYOR J.A, DZAMEFE J.A<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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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>GYAESAYOR,
JA<o:p></o:p>This is an appeal against
the decision of the High Court, Accra dated 29th July 2010 in
respect of an application brought by the 79 applicants/respondents (hereinafter
called Respondents) against the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB hereinafter called
(Appellants) filed on 17th day of February 2010. The application in
the High Court was brought under Order 67 of C.I. 47, the Civil Procedure Rules
of 2004 invoking the jurisdiction of that court to enforce their fundamental
human right which they claim had been trampled upon by the appellant herein.<o:p></o:p>The facts of the case are quite
simple.&nbsp; The applicants herein were
employees of the GCB who had retired variously either at attaining 45 years, resigned
or declared redundant or have retired from the service of the bank. Their claim
is based on a scheme known and called “Ghana Commercial Bank Social Pension Scheme”
which was established in 1976 to assist workers and to motivate them to work
for longer periods with the said bank.&nbsp;
When the applicants retired, they were not paid the benefits because
according to the bank, the Special Pension Scheme had been abolished as far
back 18th December 1990.<o:p></o:p>It is the case of the
appellant herein that Social Security Scheme which had been introduced paved
the way for the said abrogation coupling with the lack of funds and that the
bank now contributes to SSNIT on behalf of workers. In any event, they contended
that the action of the respondent is statute barred not having been filed
within 6 months of the occurrence of the alleged breach or 3 months after it
came to the notice of applicants.<o:p></o:p>Indeed the appellants duly
raised a preliminary objection in respect of this but were overruled by the
trial court which proceeded to hear the application to conclusion. <o:p></o:p>The respondents on the
other hand claim that the abrogation was not brought to their notice and that
the conduct of the appellant in paying other, under the said scheme while
denying them their right is an infringement of their fundamental rights which
can be brought under Order 67 of C.I. 47.<o:p></o:p>At the end of the hearing,
the learned Justice of the High Court granted the following reliefs to the
applicants;-<o:p></o:p>i.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A declaration that they are qualified for
their pension entitlements under the GCB Special Pension Scheme instituted in
July 1976.<o:p></o:p>ii.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A declaration that the abrogation of GCB Special
Pension Scheme in December 1990 was null and void.<o:p></o:p>i</main>