EJISU STOOL AND EJISU APENKRA STOOLLAND PER OPANIN KWABENA AMOAH vs. J.C. ADDAI [2020]DLCA9905

Date	2020-11-20
Suit No.
Citation No.	[2020]DLCA9905

OFOE J.A

BARTELS-KODWO J.A

BERNASKO J.A

[2020]DLCA9905
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><a name="_Hlk35510717">EJISU STOOL AND EJISU
APENKRA STOOLLAND PER OPANIN KWABENA AMOAH<o:p></o:p></a>&nbsp;(PLAINTIFFS / APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>J.C. ADDAI<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;(DEFENDANT/ RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, KUMASI]<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;">

SUIT NO.
HI/21/2019&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: 20TH NOVEMBER, 2020<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>OFOE, J.A, BARTELS-KODWO, J.A,
BERNASKO, J.A<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 0in;">

<p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:
150%;tab-stops:147.0pt;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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>OFOE,
J.A.:<o:p></o:p>The
1st plaintiff/appellant claiming there is an Ejisu Apenkra Stool
which falls under its jurisdiction and therefore it has proprietary rights over
all the lands in Ejisu Apenkra has appointed Opanin Kwabena Asamoah as its
caretaker of the Ejisu Apenkra stool lands. Opanin Asamoah therefore joined the
1st plaintiff/appellant to sue as 2nd plaintiff in the
matter. By their statement of claim they contend that the defendant is just a
farmer residing in Apenkra in Ejisu.&nbsp; Their
case simply is that they gave the disputed land to the uncle of the defendant
to farm on as a licensee but the defendant is now claiming the said land as an
inherited and bona fide property. It is this land they sought from the High
Court the reliefs<o:p></o:p>“a.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A
declaration that all that piece or parcel of land more particularly situate at
Apenkra bounded on the Eastern part of river Beakwa, both sides on Apenkra-Kokofu
road, Pramo Stool lands, Edwinase Stool lands, Aboaso Stool lands, Adwumanu
Stool lands and Nuaso, Preyaase Stool lands is the bonafide property of the 1st
Plaintiff with the 2nd plaintiff being the Caretaker Chief thereof.<o:p></o:p>b.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Damages
for Trespass<o:p></o:p>c.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Recovery
of Possession”.<o:p></o:p>We
wish it noted that the plaintiffs abandoned their allegation in the pleadings
that they gave the land to the defendant’s uncle to farm on. During the trial
they led no evidence whatsoever that there was any such transaction of the
stool granting licence to the defendant’s uncle to farm on this land.<o:p></o:p>The
defendant on his part denied he is a sojourner in Apenkra and that he is a
citizen of Apenkra and a descendant of Nana Kofi Dan Badwa, a member of the
Asona Royal Family in Apenkra. This issue of whether the defendant is a
sojourner of Apenkra need not detain us. Not only did the plaintiff not lead
any evidence on this allegation successfully challenging the citizenship of the
defendant to Apenkra but the evidence was rather profuse that the defendant
hails from Apenkra. In fact he was even the Okyeameh of the Apenkrahene and
successfully traced his root to Nana Kofi Badwa.<o:p></o:p>Defendant’s
claim to this disputed land is routed through Nana Badwa his descendant who
died more than 100 years ago. After the death of Nana Badwa his uncles and
sisters took possession of it and farmed it. This land commonly known as Assia
lands has through inheritance now devolved unto the family of which he is now
the head. Defendant narrated how the late Nana Dwamena Akenten the head of the
Apenkra stool, now deceased, entered this land without his family’s consent and
the complaint he made to the Commissioner for Human Rights who ruled in his
favour. Nana Akenten acknowledged the decision of the Commissioner and back
home Nana invited all his elders and confirmed the ownership of this disputed
land in the defendant’s family in the form of a gift for which his family
offered customary drinks and GHC4 in acceptance. Subsequent to this event,
according to the defendant, certain persons trespassed unto the said land
claiming to have been granted same by the 1st defendant stool acting
through its occupant, Nana Afranie Okese IV, the Ejisuhene. He sued these
trespassers at the Kuntunase District Court where he had judgment on the 29th
May 2014. When the matter before the court came to the attention of the
Ejisuhene he tried a settlement out of court which failed. The trespassers
failed to attend court for continuation of the case and judgment was eventually
given in his favour. On the basis of the foregoing defendant counterclaimed
against the plaintiffs for:<o:p></o:p>“1. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Declaration
of title to all that stretch of land at a place commonly called&nbsp; “Assia”&nbsp;
on Apenkra Stool land which is bounded by the landed properties of
Mathew Nsiah Adubofour, Amma Adomah, Opanin &nbsp;Kwame Nuamah’s family and River Biakwa
which&nbsp; land has been defendant’s family
land for several centuries.<o:p></o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Recovery&nbsp; of possession.<o:p></o:p>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Damages
for trespass and perpetual injunction, restraining plaintiffs’ their servants,
agents, assigns and any persons claiming title through them”.<o:p></o:p>In
the evidential duty carried by parties in the case we reiterate what we stated
in our judgment in the case of&nbsp;&nbsp; Ibrahim
Usman Banda vrs Boete Church of Christ H1/45/2016 dated 20th November
2020. We said:<o:p></o:p>“The
legal authorities are clear beyond any dispute the evidential duty cast on a
party in a land case who makes a claim for declaration of title. Some of the
cases worth attention are Mondial Veneer Ghana Ltd vrs Amuah Gyebu
(2011)1 SCGLR 466, Abbey vrs Antwi (2010) SCGLR 17, Ackah vrs Pergah Transport
Ltd (2010) SCGLR 728,Takoradi Flour Mills vrs Samir Faris (2005-2006) SC</main>