NANA YAA DENTAA II vs. NANA APPIAH KWAW II [2021]DLHC11644

Date	2021-11-25
Suit No.	SUIT NO: E12/12/22
Citation No.	[2021]DLHC11644

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE DR. RICHMOND OSEI-HWERE J.

NANA E.A. KONDUA ESQ. FOR PLAINTIFF/APPLICANT

BAFFOUR DWUMAH ESQ FOR DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT

[2021]DLHC11644
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >NANA YAA DENTAA II<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>NANA APPIAH
KWAW II<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT, SEKONDI]<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: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">SUIT
NO: E12/12/22&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:
25TH
NOVEMBER, 2021<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL<o:p></o:p>NANA
E.A. KONDUA ESQ. FOR PLAINTIFF/APPLICANT<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: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">BAFFOUR DWUMAH ESQ FOR DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM<o:p></o:p>HIS
LORDSHIP JUSTICE DR. RICHMOND OSEI-HWERE J.<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" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;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">RULING<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;On
17th November, 2021 the Plaintiff issued a writ at the registry of
this court seeking the following reliefs:<o:p></o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; An
order of Perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant from carrying on the
burial and funeral ceremony of the late Oyokoo Abusuapanyin Nana Kofi Amoah on
the ground that the Defendant is not a member of Oyokoo family of
Abrokyiri-Krobo whose ancestors had originally migrated from Asante to
Abrokyiri-Krobo.<o:p></o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A
Declaration that it is the Plaintiff and her Oyokoo family of Abrokyiri-Krobo
whose ancestors had migrated from Asante to Abrokyiri-Krobo, to which the
deceased Oyokoo Abusuapanyin Nana Kofi Amoah belonged to, who had the customary
right and power to conduct the burial and funeral ceremony of the late deceased
Oyokoo Abusuapanyin Nana Kofi Amoah.<o:p></o:p>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Any other reliefs deemed by the court.<o:p></o:p>The
Plaintiff/Applicant (hereinafter called the “Applicant”) has filed an
application for an order of Interlocutory Injunction restraining the Defendant/Respondent
(hereinafter called the “Respondent”), his agents, servants, etc from going
ahead to organize the burial and funeral rites of the late Oyokoo Abusuapanyin
Nana Kofi Amoah and for any further order or orders as the court may deem fit
to make.<o:p></o:p>The
application is supported by a 7 paragraph affidavit. The relevant portions of
the affidavit which sum up the case of the Applicant are as follows:<o:p></o:p>3. That the late Oyokoo
Abusuapanyin Nana Kofi Amoah was the head of the family of the Plaintiff’s
Oyokoo family of Abrokyiri-Krobo and by custom and tradition it is the
Plaintiff’s family who have the right to organize the burial and funeral rites
of their head of family.<o:p></o:p>4. That contrary to custom
and tradition the Defendant has mischievously and without the consent and
approval of the family taken over the burial and funeral rites of the late
Abusuapanyin and gone ahead to issue funeral posters. Attached is a copy of the
funeral poster and marked as Exhibit ‘A’.<o:p></o:p>5. That the Defendant is not
a member of the Plaintiff’s Oyokoo family of Abrokyiri-Krobo and this is evidenced
by previous funerals posters of deceased members of the Plaintiff’s Oyokoo
family. Attached are previous funeral posters and marked as Exhibit ‘B’ series.
<o:p></o:p>6. That the Defendant ought
to be restrained from going ahead to organize the burial and funeral rites of
the late Oyokoo Abusuapanyin Nana Kofi Amoah.<o:p></o:p>The
Respondent is opposed to the application. It has demonstrated its opposition in
a 27 paragraph affidavit.<o:p></o:p>It
is the case of the Respondent that the Oyokoo Abusuapanyin Nana Kofi Amoah who
is now deceased was before his demise the Head of the Oyoko Royal Family of
Abrokyiri-Krobo. That, the body of the deceased Abusuapanyin belongs to the
entire Oyoko Royal family. That, in the absence of the Abusuapanyin the lots
fall on the most senior member of the Oyoko Royal family of Abrokyiri-Krobo,
Nana Kwesi Ankomah to act.&nbsp; Respondent
says that currently Nana Kwesi Ankomah is unwell and receiving treatment in
Accra.<o:p></o:p>It
is the Respondent’s case that since this case is a family matter the Applicant
who is not the Head of family is not clothed with the capacity to mount this
action on her own behalf.<o:p></o:p>Respondent
also contends that he is a full blooded member of the Oyoko Royal family of
Abrokyiri-Krobo. That, the maternal roots of the Oyoko Royal family of
Abrokyiri–Krobo came from Kokofu in the Ashanti Region and that the entire
Oyoko Royal family of Abrokyiri-Krobo trace its maternal root from a woman
called Nana Frema. Respondent says that it was Nana Bentaa, another woman from
the Oyoko Royal family who came to settle at the present day Abrokyiri-Krobo
and begot those who are now settled at Abrokyiri-Krobo.<o:p></o:p>Respondent
says that he traces his maternal roots directly to the said Nana Bentaa and
Frema and that explains why he was installed as the chief of Abrokyiri-Krobo on
the 13th June, 1988 without any objection. He contends that the Applicant is
also a member of the Oyoko Royal family of Abrokyiri-Krobo and the Queenmother
of Abrokyiri-Krobo.<o:p></o:p>It
is the Respondent’s case that by custom and tradition, when an Abusuapanyin
dies, and there is a sitting chief, it is the occupa</main>