NANA BATAFO AKYEAMPONG NTI II vs. NANA OWUSU ACHIAW PREMPEH I [2021]DLCA16205

Date	2021-04-29
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO: H1/40/2021
Citation No.	[2021]DLCA16205

ANGELINA M. DOMAKYAAREH (MRS.) J A (PRESIDING)

ALEX B. POKU-ACHEAMPONG J A

SAMUEL K. A. ASIEDU J A

JAMES MARSHALL BELLIEB FOR THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT

JANET OWUSU FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT.

[2021]DLCA16205
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >NANA BATAFO AKYEAMPONG NTI II
<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>NANA OWUSU ACHIAW PREMPEH I
<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></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;">

CIVIL APPEAL NO: H1/40/2021&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE: 29TH APRIL, 2021<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>JAMES MARSHALL BELLIEB FOR THE
DEFENDANT/APPELLANT<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;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">JANET OWUSU FOR THE
PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:
<o:p></o:p>ANGELINA M. DOMAKYAAREH (MRS.) J A
(PRESIDING), ALEX B. POKU-ACHEAMPONG J A, SAMUEL K. A. ASIEDU 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="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;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>DOMAKYAAREH
(MRS.), JA:<o:p></o:p>[1]
This appeal emanates for the judgment
of the High Court, Kumasi, dated 23rd January, 2014. The parties in
this matter are the Chiefs of their respective Traditional areas. The Defendant/Appellant
is the Chief of Konongo (Konongohene) while the initial the Plaintiff/Respondent
was the Chief of Juaso (Juasohene). Upon his demise, he was substituted by Nana
Asafo Akaa Agyei Tabi also Juasohene. In this judgment, for ease of reference,
the Defendant/Appellant will be referred to as the Appellant while the
Plaintiff/Respondent will be referred to as the Respondent. <o:p></o:p>[
2] The Respondent initiated the action on
his own behalf and on behalf of the Juaso Stool. The bone of contention between
the parties is title to and ownership of a large tract of land situate in the
Ashanti Akyem South District of the Ashanti Region. The land in dispute is more
particularly described in these terms as per the endorsement on the Writ of
Summons and Statement of Claim filed by the Respondent, to wit:<o:p></o:p>“All that land situate at Juaso sharing
boundaries with the following villages and towns, namely, Juansa with the Subri
River, Patriensa with the Subin River, Konongo with Awere, Kokrowe and Juentri
River, Dwease and Obogu with the Dome River and referred to as Juaso stool land
as shown on the Survey Plan based on National Archives of Ghana Certificate of
Authentification Extracts dated 1910 – 1915 from File No. 662/10, an extract
from Sct. 30/5 of page 136 of Mullars
Survey Administration of Demarcation of Boundary lines of Stool Lands
Properties.”<o:p></o:p>[3] The Respondent’s case is that he is the custodian of Juaso
Stool Lands and that the parcel of land in dispute belongs to the Juaso Stool. &nbsp;Per his Statement of Claim filed on 06/10/11,
The Respondent traced his root of title to the disputed property in great
detail. However, the gravamen of his case is that the Appellant has trespassed
unto his said Stool land by engaging in several unlawful acts, namely: -
sending Graders to clear farmlands at Juaso Yawkwei; destroying the crops of
his subjects &nbsp;so that he can develop the
land and sell same; sending carpenters to set up a wood village on Juaso Stool
land; granting land at Yawkwei to develop a Hospital and alienating the land to
other 3rd party developers despite protests for the Respondent’s Stool
and collecting revenue that would have accrued to the Juaso stool from Quarry
activities on Juaso Stool land. <o:p></o:p>[4] Contending that the Appellant’s unlawful activities on the
Respondent’s land has caused the Respondent Stool a lot of hardships, losses
and injuries, the Respondent claimed the following ten reliefs against the
Appellant, namely: - <o:p></o:p>(a)<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A
declaration of title to all that land situate at Juaso sharing boundaries with
the following villages and towns, namely, Juansa with the Subri River,
Patriensa with the Subin River, Konongo with Awere, Kokrowe and Juentri River,
Dwease and Obogu with the Dome River and referred to as Juaso stool land as
shown on the Survey Plan based on National Archives of Ghana Certificate of
Authentification Extracts dated 1910 – 1915 from File No. 662/10, an extract
from Sct. 30/5 of page 136 of Mullars
Survey Administration of Demarcation of Boundary lines of Stool Lands Properties.<o:p></o:p>(b)<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;