BENNETT ACQUAH IMPRAIM & 204 OTHERS vs UNIVERSITY OF GHANA [2018]DLCA16129

Date	2018-04-12
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO: H1/184/201
Citation No.	[2018]DLCA16129

FRANCIS KUSI-APPIAH J.A.

AVRIL LOVELACE-JOHNSON J.A.

HENRY A. KWOFIE J.A.

JOSEPH N. NKRUMAH

NANIA OWUSU-ANKOMAH

[2018]DLCA16129
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >BENNETT ACQUAH IMPRAIM &amp; 204 OTHERS<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;vs&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<o:p></o:p>UNIVERSITY OF GHANA<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;CIVIL
APPEAL NO: H1/184/201&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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 APRIL, 2018.<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">COUNSEL:&nbsp;<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">&nbsp;JOSEPH
N. NKRUMAH, NANIA OWUSU-ANKOMAH <o:p></o:p>

</div><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 115%; border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext;">CORAM&nbsp;<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 115%; border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext;">FRANCIS KUSI-<a name="_Hlk511297566">APPIAH J.A., AVRIL LOVELACE-JOHNSON J.</a>A., HENRY A.
KWOFIE J.A.<o:p></o:p>

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;mso-border-between:1.5pt solid windowtext;
mso-padding-between:1.0pt;padding-top:1.0pt;mso-padding-top-alt:0cm">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>HENRY
KWOFIE&nbsp;&nbsp; J.A.<o:p></o:p>The defendant/appellant (hereinafter referred
to as the defendant) being dissatisfied with the judgment of the High Court,
Accra Financial and Economic Crime Division) dated the 7th of
December 2015 lodged an appeal against the judgment.<o:p></o:p>The notice of appeal dated 19th
February 2016 is at pages 666-671 of the Record of appeal. The grounds of
appeal set out in the Notice of Appeal were:<o:p></o:p>a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
Judgment is against the weight of evidence before the trial judge.<o:p></o:p>b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
learned judge erred by failing to hold that the conditions of service for
unionised staff of Public Universities does not provide for ex-gratia payments
to take retrospective effect.<o:p></o:p>c)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
learned judge erred when she held that the new Single Spine salary which was
implemented after the respondents retired from the appellant was their salary
at the date of their retirement.<o:p></o:p>d)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
learned judge erred when she held for the respondents on the basis that the
appellant did not prove that ex-gratia are paid from internally generated
funds.&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>e)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
learned judge erred where she held for the respondents on the basis that the
appellant paid salary arrears to the Respondent after they had retired and
therefore the respondents are also entitled to the difference in their
ex-gratia payment.<o:p></o:p>f)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The learned
judge erred when she held that the 2nd, 3rd, 4th,
5th, 6th, 7th and 198th Respondents
had made a proper case for review.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The judgment appealed against is at pages
476-488 of the Record of <o:p></o:p>Appeal.&nbsp;
<o:p></o:p>The reliefs sought from the Court of Appeal
were that part of the judgment of the trial judge complained of and the costs
be set aside; that the entire ruling of the trial judge be set aside and
judgment entered for the defendant.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Before dealing with the arguments advanced in
support and against the appeal, I will give a brief background of the case.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;All the 205 plaintiffs were form</main>