ABUSUAPANYIN KOFI OTOPA vs. MADAM JULIANA AMANKWA OTOPABIA [2022]DLCA15103

Date	2022-04-12
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEA NO: H1/01/2022
Citation No.	[2022]DLCA15103

SOWAH J. A. (PRESIDING)

OPPONG J. A.

MENSAH-HOMIAH J. A.

KWASI OPARE FOR PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT

KWABENA OWUSU-MENSAH FOR DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT

[2022]DLCA15103
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >ABUSUAPANYIN KOFI OTOPA<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/ APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>MADAM
JULIANA AMANKWA OTOPABIA<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/
RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, KOFORIDUA]<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;<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 APPEA NO: H1/01/2022
&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: 12TH APRIL 2022<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM<o:p></o:p>SOWAH
J. A. (PRESIDING), OPPONG J. A., MENSAH-HOMIAH 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;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">JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>MENSAH-HOMIAH, J.A.<o:p></o:p>INTRODUCTION<o:p></o:p>By a judgment dated 29th March, 2021, the High Court,
Akim Oda, declared as valid an earlier arbitration on the same subject matter
between the parties. The Court then dismissed both the Plaintiff’s suit and the
Defendant’s counterclaim because in its opinion, the matter could not be
re-litigated. It is against this decision of the&nbsp;&nbsp; High Court that Plaintiff lodged the instant
appeal on 22nd April, 2021. <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;BACKGROUND<o:p></o:p>This is the genesis of the suit before the High Court. It was
alleged that, one Opanyin Kwaku Amankwaa, father of the Defendant, was a native
of Aburi and so upon his death intestate, his properties devolved onto his
immediate family of Aburi. Matilda Asantewaa who was substituted for the
original plaintiff, Abusuapanyin Kofi Otopa (decd.), is a niece of Opanyin Kwaku
Amankwa (deceased).&nbsp; In his life time,
Kwaku Amankwa had only one child, the Defendant herein. At the time of Kwaku
Amankwa’s death sometime in 1967, Defendant was a minor aged 15. Several years
later, Defendant who discovered that his late father rather hailed from Nkonya
where the patrilineal system of inheritance is practiced, made a demand on the
then head of family, Opanyin Akunnor, to be given a portion of her father’s
properties. Following Defendant’s persistent demands, Kwaku Amankwa’s family
carved a total of 15 acres out of the over 150 - acre land which forms part of
the deceased’s estate, situate and lying at Kwaboadi in Akyem Abuakwa, for
Defendant, at different times. <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Not satisfied with the 15 acres of land, Defendant summoned Plaintiff’s
family members who were farming on the land before the Omanhene of Kwereso
(Otwereso), whose stool owns the land which was leased to Kwaku Amankwa in
1951.&nbsp; Representatives of the then head
of family and Defendant subjected themselves to an arbitration before the
Omanhene of Otwereso and other chiefs. Of the rival accounts given, the arbitration
panel accepted the version that, Defendant’s father was a native of Nkonya
where inheritance is patrilineal. Though the arbitration panel observed that
all the properties could be given to Defendant under the patrilineal system of
inheritance, an award was made for Defendant to be given one-third (⅓) of her father’s
land in dispute together with other properties, and two-thirds (⅔) to be given to
the Plaintiff’s family, plus other properties. A couple of months later,
Plaintiff challenged the award on the basis that, the decision of the
arbitrators was based on the wrong premise that Defendant’s father was a native
of Nkonya. Plaintiff therefore instituted an action at the High Court, Akim Oda
and by an amended writ of summons and statement of claim filed on 13th
December, 2019, Plaintiff sought the following reliefs:<o:p></o:p>a.<span style="font-style: normal; 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; <!-</main>