GUO-NAA SANYE, MUO-NAA KAWMINE-NYE AND KANTEI MAALO-DUONG vs. ASUMA GEWURA, SUMAILA ABAKORO, JEBUNI BADDUO, GUO-NAA MEBO AND MWINI MAHAMA [2017]DLCA4834

GUO-NAA SANYE, MUO-NAA KAWMINE-NYE AND KANTEI MAALO-DUONG vs. ASUMA GEWURA, SUM... [2017]DLCA4834

Date	2017-07-18
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO: H1/1/2017
Citation No.	[2017]DLCA4834

DENNIS ADJEI JA (PRESIDING)

AVRIL LOVELACE-JOHNSON JA

BARBARA ACKAH-YENSU (MS) JA

IBRAHIM MAHAMA FOR PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS

ROCKSON AKUGRE FOR DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS

[2017]DLCA4834
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >GUO-NAA
SANYE, MUO-NAA KAWMINE-NYE AND KANTEI MAALO-DUONG<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>ASUMA GEWURA, SUMAILA ABAKORO, JEBUNI BADDUO, GUO-NAA MEBO AND
MWINI MAHAMA<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, TAMALE]<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 NO: H1/1/2017&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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 JULY, 2017<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>IBRAHIM
MAHAMA FOR PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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ROCKSON
AKUGRE FOR DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS <o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM: <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:
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DENNIS
ADJEI JA (PRESIDING), AVRIL LOVELACE-JOHNSON JA, BARBARA ACKAH-YENSU (MS) JA<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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JUDGMENT<span style="font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
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&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi"><o:p></o:p>

</div>BARBARA
ACKAH-YENSU (Ms) JA<o:p></o:p>This is an appeal against the judgment of the High
Court, Wa delivered on 3rd May 2016. The Plaintiffs/Appellants
(referred to hereafter as the Appellants), pray this Court to reverse the
judgment of the trial Court.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>These are the matters that have given rise to the
instant appeal.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The Appellants commenced an action
on 29th October 2013 against Respondents claiming inter alia a declaration of title to the
disputed lands; injunction to restrain the Respondents from the said land, and
also; an order for recovery of all lands Respondents had granted to
Developers.&nbsp; The Appellants brought the
action on their own behalf and on behalf of Guo Skin. The supporting facts of
the Appellants claim was that their ancestor, Dakpang, was the first to settle
on the land, and also became the first Chief of Guo land.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The Respondents vehemently opposed
the action denying the title of the Appellants to the land and challenged the
capacity of the Appellants to bring the action.&nbsp;
They made a counterclaim inter
alia for a declaration of title to the lands which they referred to as Guo
Katume family land; perpetual injunction, and; recovery of possession. The
supporting facts of the Respondents are that their “ancestor who was a hunter by name Tokpara was the first settler on the
land”.&nbsp; When the ancestor of the
Appellants came to the land, Tokpara gave the administration of the land or chieftaincy
to Dakpangu whilst retaining his control of the land through the performance of
rituals.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The Appellants referred to
themselves as the royals whilst the Respondents referred to themselves as the Tindaamba
or first settlers.&nbsp; Hence, this case is a
conflict between two sections of the same community called Guo.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>At the end of the trial, the learned
trial Judge held as follows:<o:p></o:p>“Exhibits 1 and 2 being instruments
affecting have all been stamped and registered and have therefore passed the
statutory test. I think I can conveniently rely on them as indications of the
fact that the defendants are allodial owners of Guo land by reason of being the
first settlers and that under the prevailing customary law and usages, title to
Guo land is vested in the defendants’ Katumi family or clan.&nbsp; And I so find and hold…………. <o:p></o:p>