EBUSUAPANYIN AKUMA MENSAH vs. NANA ATTA KOMFO II [2015]DLCA8016

Date	2015-02-18
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL SUIT NO: H1/34/13
Citation No.	[2015]DLCA8016

B. F. ACKAH-YENSU J.A (PRESIDING)

SAEED K. GYAN JA

G. S. SUURBAAREH JA

J.E.K. ABEKA FOR PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT

SAMUEL DZIGBA FOR DEFENDANT/APPELLANT ABSENT

[2015]DLCA8016
																																						<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" >EBUSUAPANYIN AKUMA MENSAH<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/
RESPONDENT)<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>NANA ATTA
KOMFO II<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/ APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, CAPECOAST]<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: H1/34/13&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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 FEBRUARY, 2015<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>J.E.K. ABEKA FOR PLAINTIFF/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">

SAMUEL DZIGBA FOR
DEFENDANT/APPELLANT ABSENT<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">

B. F. ACKAH-YENSU J.A
(PRESIDING), SAEED K. GYAN JA, G. S. SUURBAAREH JA<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">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>BARBARA
ACKAH-YENSU, JA<o:p></o:p>The
genesis of this case is that the Plaintiff/Respondent herein issued a writ of
summons against the Defendant/Appellant in a representative capacity as head of
family of Sikaduase Ebiradze family of Ntankorful for himself and on behalf of
the said family claiming ownership of a parcel of land in and around Ntankorful.
He alleged that the virgin forest of the said land was first broken by his ancestors.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
Plaintiff/Respondent sought the following reliefs:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “<o:p></o:p>a.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Declaration of title to all
that piece or parcel of land commonly referred to as Norweh’s land and more
particularly described in paragraph 3 of the Statement of Claim.<o:p></o:p>b.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Damages for trespass to the
said land<o:p></o:p>c.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Perpetual
injunction restraining the Defendants their agents, servants, workmen,&nbsp; privies and assigns from in any way
interfering with the Plaintiff’s ownership and possession of the said land”.<o:p></o:p>The
Defendant/Appellant challenged the Plaintiff/Respondent’s capacity as Head of
Sikaduase&nbsp; Ebiradze family.&nbsp; He contended that he was the chief of Ntankorful
and his status as a chief of Ntankorful had been gazetted.&nbsp; That, the virgin forest of Ntankorful was not
broken by the ancestors of Plaintiff/Respondent.&nbsp; That, the virgin forest of Ntankforful&nbsp; was first broken by Nana Atta Komfo I who
founded Ntankorful.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>At
the end of the trial, the High Court sitting at Sekondi declared title to all
that piece or parcel of land commonly referred to as Norweh’s land in favour of
Sikaduase Ebiradze family of Ntankorful; thus granting Plaintiff/Respondent his
claim. Dissatisfied with this decision, the Defendant/Appellant mounted this
appeal against the whole judgment initially on the following grounds:<o:p></o:p>