THE REPUBLIC vs. ABUBAKARI AWUFO EX PARTE NANYEME KOFI MALBA [2023]DLHC17381

Date	2023-11-10
Suit No.	SUIT NO: NR/TL/HC/CC16/56/23
Citation No.	[2023]DLHC17381

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE ERIC ANSAH ANKOMAH

ISSAHAKU TAHIDU LAWAL

ABRAHAM NAYAAM DAMTAR

ALHAJI SHAIBU ABDULAI

[2023]DLHC17381
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>ABUBAKARI AWUFO EX PARTE NANYEME KOFI MALBA<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT / APPLICANT)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH
COURT, TAMALE]<o:p></o:p>&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;&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; <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: black; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none;border:none;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><a name="_heading=h.gjdgxs"></a>SUIT NO: NR/TL/HC/CC16/56/23&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; DATE: 10TH NOVEMBER,
2023<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL&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;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <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: black; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none;border:none;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">ABRAHAM NAYAAM DAMTAR
HOLDING THE BRIEF OF ALHAJI SHAIBU ABDULAI FOR RESPONDENT&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM<o:p></o:p>HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE ERIC
ANSAH ANKOMAH<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: black; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0in;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none;
border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.5pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">RULING<o:p></o:p>

</div>Introduction<o:p></o:p>The practice where no specific dates are
fixed for the determination of applications at the various judicial committees
of the Traditional, Regional and National Houses of chiefs is causing much
problems for chiefs who are often named as respondents and are to be restrained
from exercising certain chieftaincy and other traditional functions. The
pendency of such applications without certainty of hearing have contributed to
the flooding of the courts with contempt applications. In some cases it takes
years for a date to be fixed. The fear of going contrary to the reliefs of the
application has the tendency to retire the progress of customs and traditions.
I call on the various house of chiefs to devise ways and means of resolving
this issue.<o:p></o:p>In the instant case before me, the applicant
herein filed a chieftaincy petition against the respondent herein on 4th
December, 2021. The applicant attached to the petition motion on notice for
interlocutory injunction restraining the respondent herein from enskining a
chief for Nyangbandi community. No date was fixed on the motion as the return
date up to date. The registrar recorded on the motion paper, a date to be fixed-
later. What this means is that if for ten years the judicial committee is not
composed to sit, then no enskinment can take place as a result of the pendency
of the injunction application. The petition was filed at the Judicial Committee
of the North East Region House of Chiefs hereinafter known as NERHC.<o:p></o:p>In the instant application before me, the
applicant invoked Order 50 of the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2004 (C.I.47)
and invited this court to convict the respondent and punish him for contempt of
court.<o:p></o:p>Summary of Applicant case<o:p></o:p>The summary of the applicant case in the
affidavit in support of his motion on notice for contempt which was deposed to
by one Nawuse Yakubu for and on behalf of the applicant is as follows;<o:p></o:p>That in December, 2021, the applicant caused
to be issued out a petition at the judicial committee of the NERHC. The
petition was attached to the application and it was marked as exhibit A.<o:p></o:p>That the applicant filed motion on notice for
interlocutory injunction to restrain the respondent herein from enskining a
chief for the Nyangbandi Community. The motion for interlocutory injunction was
attached to the application and it was marked as exhibit B.<o:p></o:p>