NII DZAASE AKOTEY IV vs. NII KWASHIE GBOLOR IV & 2 ORS [2019]DLHC9134

Date	2019-03-19
Suit No.	SUIT NO. LD/0796/18
Citation No.	[2019]DLHC9134

HER LADYSHIP JUSTICE BARBARA TETTEH-CHARWAY (MRS)

KWABENA BOYE AGYEKUMHENE OFR PLAINTIFF/APPLICANT

JAMES MENSAH KULLEY FOR 2ND DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT

[2019]DLHC9134
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >NII DZAASE AKOTEY IV<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>NII KWASHIE GBOLOR IV
&amp; 2 ORS<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS/APPLICANTS)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[HIGH COURT (LAND DIVISION), 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. LD/0796/18&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; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; DATE:
19TH MARCH, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>KWABENA BOYE AGYEKUMHENE OFR
PLAINTIFF/APPLICANT&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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JAMES
MENSAH KULLEY FOR 2ND DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <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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HER
LADYSHIP JUSTICE BARBARA TETTEH-CHARWAY (MRS)<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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</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Before me is a motion on notice to
dismiss the suit for want of capacity. It is the 2nd Defendant
applicant’s case that the description of the Plaintiff as the ‘Acting Bortianor
Mantse’ is an anomaly because there is a substantive chief of Bortianor who is
called Nii Ogbarmey Ankonam I. According to the Plaintiff, the said chief was
enstooled as Bortianor Mantse on 4th January 1993 and gazetted on 14th
November 2012 as shown in Exhibits ‘A’ and ‘A1’. &nbsp;He therefore contends that the Plaintiff, not
being Mantse of Bortianor, has no capacity to institute the instant action on
behalf of the said stool.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The Plaintiff Respondent filed an
affidavit in opposition to the motion to dismiss the suit to which he attached
a number of exhibits to show that he has been appointed ‘Acting Bortianor
Mantse’ due to a protracted chieftaincy dispute between the two families of the
Bortianor stool. He contends that this fact has been acknowledged by Nii Ogbarmey
Ankonam I in a number of transactions entered into by the Plaintiff on behalf
of the said stool. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>I have examined the affidavits filed by
both sides and I find overwhelming evidence to the effect that the Plaintiff
herein has, in the capacity of ‘Acting Mantse of Bortianor’, entered into
several transactions involving the alienation of Bortianor lands to third
parties on behalf of the Bortianor stool, to the knowledge of Nii Ogbarmey
Ankonam I. On the other hand, there is no evidence before me of any transactions
entered into by Nii Ogbarmey Ankonam I on behalf of the Bortianor Stool as
regards the alienation of Bortianor lands. I therefore hold that the said Nii
Ogbarmey Ankonam I, is estopped by conduct, from denying the capacity of the
plaintiff to take action on behalf of the Bortianor Stool as ‘Acting Mantse’ of
the said stool.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>I am mindful of the fact that this
application relates to the capacity of the Plaintiff to institute the instant
action and not to the determination of who is the chief of Bortianor, which is
a matter to be determined by a different forum.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>In view of the evidence that the Plaintiff
has openly acted on behalf of the Bortianor stool without any objection from
Nii Ogbarmey Ankonam, I and the absence of any explicit revocation of his
authority to act in that capacity, I hold that the Plaintiff has demonstrated
to the satisfaction of this court that he has the capacity to institute the
instant action.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The application to dismiss the suit for
want of capacity is therefore dismissed.<o:p></o:p>

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