JOSEPH ODOI vs. NII OMAN TAIN CLOTTEY AND 4 OTHERS [2019]DLCA6645

Date	2019-03-28
Suit No.	CIVILAPPEAL NO. H1/41/2018
Citation No.	[2019]DLCA6645

C. J. HONYENUGA JA (PRESIDING)

C. H. SOWAH (MRS.) JA

A. POKU-ACHEAMPONG JA

MR. GEORGE ANKOMAH MENSAH FOR DEFENDANTS/ APPELLANTS

MR. KWABENA ANKAMAH OFEI-BADU FOR PLAINTIFF/ RESPONDENT

[2019]DLCA6645
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >JOSEPH ODOI<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/
RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>NII OMAN
TAIN CLOTTEY AND 4 OTHERS<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS/ APPELLANTS)<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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CIVILAPPEAL
NO. H1/41/2018&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: 28TH
MARCH, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL: <o:p></o:p>MR.
GEORGE ANKOMAH MENSAH FOR DEFENDANTS/ APPELLANTS<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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MR.
KWABENA ANKAMAH OFEI-BADU FOR PLAINTIFF/ RESPONDENT<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;
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C.
J. HONYENUGA JA (PRESIDING), C. H. SOWAH (MRS.) JA, A. POKU-ACHEAMPONG 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;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>HONYENUGA,
JA<o:p></o:p>The High Court,
Accra, entered judgment for the Plaintiff/Respondent on the 28th day
of April, 2004, but dismissed the Defendants/Appellants’ counterclaim.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Aggrieved by the
decision of the High Court, the defendants have filed an appeal to this Court
on the 5th day of May, 2004, based on the following grounds:-<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “(i)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The judgment is against the weight of
evidence.<o:p></o:p>(ii)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The learned Judge erred in not
considering evidence of family history led by the defendant”.<o:p></o:p>No additional
grounds were filed. <o:p></o:p>In this appeal, the
Plaintiff/Respondent will be simply referred to as the Plaintiff and the
Defendants/Appellants as the Defendants.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The facts serving
as the background to this appeal were that the plaintiff’s ancestor known and
called Kojo Ashong acquired by settlement the lands known as “Kojo Ashong
Lands”.&nbsp; Kojo Ashong also allowed
strangers to farm on the land.&nbsp; Kojo
Ashong married a Ga woman who brought a stepson called “Attuquaye” to live with
them.&nbsp; During his old age and before his
death, Kojo Ashong gifted his lands and village to his nephew Okaidja.&nbsp; Okaidja lived in Accra and during his
lifetime appointed Attuquaye as a Caretaker of the lands and village.&nbsp; This Caretakership went on until the Obutu
Wing of the Okaidja family removed Attuquaye without the consent of and
concurrence of the Okaidja family in Accra and installed a Chief on their own
volition who took over collection of tolls and the entire management of the
Kojo Ashong lands and village.&nbsp; In 1981,
Attuquayefio became ill and the plaintiff’s family appointed the first
defendant to act as the Caretaker in place of Attuquayefio.&nbsp; However, in 1985, the second defendant was
appointed the substantive Caretaker.&nbsp; The
first and second defendants supported by the 3rd, 4th and
5th defendants who also collected tolls later claimed the land in
dispute as the property of Attuquaye.&nbsp;
Incensed by the claim of the 1st to 5th
defendants, the plaintiff who was subsequently substituted caused the instant
writ of summons to be issued against the defendants claiming as follows:-<o:p></o:p>“(a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A declaration that the OKAIDJA FAMILY are
the Owners of the KOJO ASHONG VILLAGE AND LANDS TO WIT;<o:p></o:p>All
that tract of land known and called KOJO ASHONG LANDS, portion of which the
village of KOJO ASHONG STANDS, and having common boundaries with the following
villages:<o:p></o:p>(1)
AYITEY KORKOR&nbsp; (2) ARDEMAN&nbsp; (3) OKUSHI BIADEY&nbsp; (4) NII ANETE</main>