PETER ODURO vs. ASHANTI GOLDFIELDS LTD [2017]DLCA4965

Date	2017-04-06
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL SUIT NO: H1/136/12
Citation No.	[2017]DLCA4965

P. K. GYAESAYOR JA

F. G. KORBIEH

M. WELBOURNE JA (MRS.)

EDDIE MACCARTHY FOR APPELLANT

OSAFO BUABENG FOR RESPONDENT

[2017]DLCA4965
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >PETER ODURO<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT/APPLICANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>ASHANTI GOLDFIELDS LTD<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></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: H1/136/12&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 6TH
APRIL, 2017&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>EDDIE
MACCARTHY FOR APPELLANT<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="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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BUABENG FOR RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>P. K. GYAESAYOR
JA, F. G. KORBIEH, M. WELBOURNE JA (MRS.)<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoListParagraph" align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>GYAESAYOR,
JA<o:p></o:p>The plaintiff/appellant a
mining engineer by profession until 20th September 1991 when he was
declared redundant was an employee of Ashanti Goldfield Limited.&nbsp; He was employed on 2nd May, 1991.<o:p></o:p>In the High Court, he
claimed in paragraph 2 of his statement of claim that he was unfairly and
wrongly terminated.<o:p></o:p>It is his case that whiles
on duty underground on 13th September 1995 he inhaled blasting fumes
which he reported to the company clinic.&nbsp;
As a result according to him, he developed an itching throat and
headache and was subsequently diagnosed as experiencing Bells palsy and
transient cerebral ischemic syndrome.<o:p></o:p>As the evidence shows,
plaintiff was referred to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital where it was found
that a tumor had grown on his brain which necessitated surgery on his head to have
the said tumor removed.<o:p></o:p>On his discharge from Korle
Bu he was taken to the technical Department for light duties upon the
recommendation of the doctor. On 20th September 1999, his
appointment was terminated on the grounds of redundancy due to the
rationalization of manpower need of the company and paid all the entitlements
due to him.<o:p></o:p>In the penultimate
paragraph of his statement of claim, plaintiff claimed that the termination of
his appointment at a time when he was receiving treatment pending the receipt
of a final medical report was unlawful.<o:p></o:p>In his quest for justice,
he took out the writ of summons on 30th day of March 2004 and
endorsed the following reliefs;<o:p></o:p><ol style="margin-top:0in" start="1" type="a">
 <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1">A
 declaration that the termination of plaintiff’s appointment on 20th
 September, 1999 before the defendant requested a final medical report from
 the neurosurgeon at Korle-Bu was wrongful.<o:p></o:p></li>
 <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1">Damages
 for the wrongful termination<o:p></o:p></li>
 <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1">Costs<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>The defendant admitted
that plaintiff was their employee for the period claimed but denied that her action
was unfair and unlawful.&nbsp; They also
denied that the illness of plaintiff was work related because upon medical
examination no such link was found.&nbsp; In
short the defendant denied that her action was unfair and unlawful.<o:p></o:p>In the ensuing trial in
the high court the following issues were set down for trial:<o:p></o:p><ol style="margin-top:0in" start="1" type="a">
 <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2">Whether
 plaintiff in 1995 whiles on duty underground inhaled blasting fumes and
 reported at the company’s clinic.<o:p></o:p></li>
 <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2">Whether
 plaintiff repeatedly reported at the clinic with itching throat and
 headaches.<o:p></o:p></li>
 <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2">Whether
 plaintiff was on several times admitted at the AGC hospital.<o:p></o:p></li>
 <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2">Whether
 plaintiff petitioned AGC Hospital authorities before he was</main>