AKWELEYFIO OKPELOR SOWAH AND TAWIAHFIO OKPELOR SOWAH vs. NII ADJEI KATI AND 3 OTHERS [2016]DLHC4475

AKWELEYFIO OKPELOR SOWAH AND TAWIAHFIO OKPELOR SOWAH vs. NII ADJEI KATI AND 3 OT... [2016]DLHC4475

Date	2016-05-12
Suit No.	SUIT NO. HRC54/15
Citation No.	[2016]DLHC4475

A. M. DOMAKYAAREH (MRS) J. A.

[2016]DLHC4475
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >AKWELEYFIO OKPELOR SOWAH
AND TAWIAHFIO OKPELOR SOWAH<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>NII ADJEI KATI AND 3
OTHERS<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH
COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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SUIT NO. HRC54/15&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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: 12TH MAY, 2016<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM: <o:p></o:p>A.
M. DOMAKYAAREH (MRS) J. A.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%;
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</div>DOMAKYAAREH (MRS) J. A.
Sitting as Additional High Court Judge.<o:p></o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Before the court is a Motion on Notice
filed on behalf of the applicant herein on 5th August 2015 praying the court
for an order to join the said applicant Nii Okpelor Jacob Ablorh Mensah as the
5th defendant to this suit.<o:p></o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The affidavit in support of the motion
averred that: <o:p></o:p>•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; the applicant is the current head and
lawful representative of the Okpelor Sowah Din family of Teshie; <o:p></o:p>•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; following a customary arbitration held
on 27th March 2012, the applicant was made the substantive Head of the Okpelor
Sowah Din family while the 4th defendant was recommended to be confirmed as the
chief of Nmai Dzorn.<o:p></o:p>•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; the instant suit is founded on a claim
that the 4th defendant has been appointed as the Head of the Okpelor Sowah Din
Family.<o:p></o:p>•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; he the applicant will be adversely
affected and bound by the outcome of the suit if he should sit by and watch the
case go on<o:p></o:p>•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; his joining the suit will help unravel
the controversy of who is the head of the Okpelor Sowah Din Family<o:p></o:p>•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; he should be joined to the suit as 5th
defendant to protect his interest as the substantive Head of the Okpelor Sowah
Din Family<o:p></o:p>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The plaintiffs and the defendants all
filed affidavits in opposition to the application.<o:p></o:p>4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In a supplementary affidavit in support
filed on 14th December 2015, the applicant denied all the material facts raised
in the affidavit in opposition save those expressly admitted or by necessary
implication.<o:p></o:p>5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The defendants opposed the application
for joinder through an affidavit in opposition deposed to on their behalf by
the 1st defendant and filed on 4th September 2015.&nbsp; They averred that: <o:p></o:p>•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; in the unreported Court of Appeal case
of Dede Kosey Yohunu &amp; Anor v Annie Kumah Agbeti &amp; 3 Ors Civil Appeal
No. H1/50/10, dated 15th May, 14 it was held that the applicant is not the Head
of family of the Okpelor Sowah Din Family of Teshie, <o:p></o:p>•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; in consequence of the disobedience of
above Court of Appeal judgment by the applicant by the publication in the Daily
Graphic Newspaper of Friday June 8, 2012 to the effect that he was still the
head of family, the applicant was cited for contempt with same contempt
application still pending.&nbsp; The said
contempt application was filed on 13th October 2014.<o:p></o:p>•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; by virtue of the Court of Appeal
judgment which has not been set aside or overturned on appeal, the issue of the
headship of the Okpelor Sowah Din family has become res judicata and cannot be
reopened in the instant court<o:p></o:p>•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 12 days after the death of Eugene
Sowah Odametey who died on 17th September 2007 the family members of the
Okpelor Sowah Din family numbering about 80 met and appointed the 4th defendant
as head of family upon his nomination by the 1st plaintiff. <o:p></o:p>•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; thereafter, through various
machinations by the applicant herein against the 4th defendant, the late Madam
Adzorkor was pronounced as the successor to the headship of Eugene Odametey
Sowah and Madam Adzorkor was also succeed by Madam Kai so it is never true that
he was appointed to succeed Eugene Sowah Odametey as averred in paragraph 3 of
his affidavit in support of the motion.<o:p></o:p>6.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The defendants also denied that the
applicant was made head of family after a customary arbitration, averring that
the customary arbitration judgment relied on by the applicant was written by
Nii Adjei Kpobi Asawa II and a certain La Agbawe Akutso upon the influence of
the applicant without offering the 4th defendant herein a hearing after the
latter was prevailed upon to withdraw his complaint about the female headship
of the family with Nii Adjei Kpobi Asawa II.&nbsp;
The defendants averred that an irregular recommendation by an
arbitration body not properly co</main>