ALEX YAW NSIAH & 88 ORS. vs. GHANA COMMERCIAL BANK [2015]DLCA7998

Date	2015-12-03
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL: SUIT NO: H1/154/2014
Citation No.	[2015]DLCA7998

KUSI-APPIAH J.A. – PRESIDING

GYAESAYOR J.A.

SOWAH (MS.) J.A.

MR. KIZITO BEYUO FOR RESPONDENTS

SORY@LAW SOLICITORS FOR APPELLANT

[2015]DLCA7998
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >ALEX YAW NSIAH &amp; 88 ORS.<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:
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mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENTS)<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" 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;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">vs.<o:p></o:p>GHANA COMMERCIAL BANK<o:p></o:p>DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:
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mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">[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">

CIVIL APPEAL: SUIT NO:&nbsp; H1/154/2014&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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: 3RD DECEMBER, 2015<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MR. KIZITO BEYUO FOR RESPONDENTS<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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SORY@LAW, SOLICITORS
FOR APPELLANT<o:p></o:p>

</div><span lang="EN-GB" 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;;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">CORAM:<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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KUSI-APPIAH J.A. –
PRESIDING, GYAESAYOR J.A., SOWAH (MS.)&nbsp;
J.A.<o:p></o:p>

</div><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">&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;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:
minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;
mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>KUSI-APPIAH, ( J.A.):<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>On 26th May, 2011, the High Court (Fast Track
Division), Accra entered judgment in favour of the plaintiffs/respondents
(hereinafter referred to as the plaintiffs) against the defendant/appellant
(hereinafter referred to as the defendant).&nbsp;
The defendant being dissatisfied with the court’s decision, appealed to
this court.<o:p></o:p>By their amended writ of summons, the plaintiffs
numbering 89, claimed against the defendant as follows:<o:p></o:p>“a.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A declaration that the plaintiffs are entitled to payment of
pension under the defendant’s Special Pension Scheme established on 1st
October, 1976. <o:p></o:p>b.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Recovery from the defendant the plaintiff’s pension
entitlements as per the Special Pension Scheme as amended.<o:p></o:p>c. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Interest on (b) above at the prevailing bank rate from the
date each plaintiff left the defendant bank’s employment up to the date of
payment.<o:p></o:p>d.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Costs of these proceedings including lawyer’s costs.”<o:p></o:p>The facts relied on by the parties to establish their
respective cases were not complicated.&nbsp;
The plaintiffs are all former employee of Ghana Commercial Bank, the
defendant herein, having been employed and worked for the defendant at various
periods of time between 1954 and 2002.&nbsp;
The undisputed evidence on record was that on or about 1st
October, 1976, the defendant established a scheme known as the Ghana Commercial
Bank Special Pension Scheme.&nbsp; The scheme
was a non-contributory scheme.&nbsp; The
scheme was to be financed and resourced from the profits of the bank and no
employee was required to make any contribution to the scheme.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>Under the scheme, the defendant undertook to make
payments of money to its employees who at the time of retirement (be it
voluntary or compulsory on attaining 45 years or 60 years respectively), have
served the defendant bank for a minimum of 15 years, as Special Pension Scheme.<o:p></o:p>