YAKUBU AWABEGO v. TINDANA AGONGO AKUBAYELA
2016
SUPREME COURT
GHANA
CORAM
- ATUGUBA JSC (PRESIDING)
- BAFFOE - BONNIE JSC
- BENIN JSC
- APPAU JSC
- PWAMANG JSC
Areas of Law
- Property and Real Estate Law
- Evidence Law
- Contract Law
- Civil Procedure
2016
SUPREME COURT
GHANA
CORAM
AI Generated Summary
On appeal to the Supreme Court of Ghana, five justices led by Justice W. A. Atuguba resolved a dispute between the Awure Family of Bolgatanga and the Tindana of Tindonsobligo concerning ownership and compensation for Kalbeo land acquired under Executive Instrument E.I. 10 of 2004 in connection with Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Limited (BOST). The Court framed the crux as whether allodial title lies with families or with the Tindana in trust for the community. Applying the recent acts principle, it relied on numerous leases, statutory declarations, and plaintiff admissions, alongside authoritative scholarship and a local committee report confirming the Tindanas custodial allodial ownership and the Awure Familys usufruct. The Court allowed the appeal, set aside concurrent High Court and Court of Appeal judgments, granted relief (1) of the counterclaim, dismissed reliefs (2) and (3), and held the parties bound by their special Memorandum of Understanding on compensation, preserving its effect while recognizing the Tindanas role as trustee for the community.
ATUGUBA, JSC
The Plaintiff/Respondent/Respondent sued the Defendant/Appellant/Appellant claiming the following reliefs:
”1. Two hundred and six million, thirty-thousand Cedis being freeholders Reversionary Interest Compensation (in respect of a total of 9.72 acres leased plots of land which is part of a larger plot of land measuring 61.924 acres belonging to the Awure Family of Bolgatanga in the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly and situate at Tamale Road Industrial Area, Bolgatanga and delineated as a plan of land for Bulk Oil Storage Transportation Limited (BOST) shewn edged pink certified by the Regional Surveyor, Upper East region dated 12th day of August, 2003, acquired per Executive Instrument E.I. 10 of 2004 paid to the Defendant on or about 5th day of January 2007 per Ghana Commercial Bank Cheque No. 0340380 dated 5th day of January, 2007 by Land Valuation Board, attached hereto as schedule II).
2. In the alternative, Eighty-Two Million, four Hundred and Twelve thousand Cedis (¢82,412,000.00) being the share of the Awure Family i.e. forty percent (40%) of Two hundred and six million, thirty thousand cedis (¢206,030,000.00) Freeholders Reversionary Interest Compensation in respect of a total of 9.72 acres leased plots of land belonging to the Awure family and situated in Bolgatanga Municipality affected by the acquisition per Executive Instrument E.I. 10 of 2004 paid to the defendant on or about 5th day of January, 2007 by Land valuation Board, Bolgatanga under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) executed for and on behalf of the Awure Family and the Tindana of Tindonsobligo by representatives of the Plaintiff and the Defendant respectively and dated 7th November, 2006 and witnessed by several people.
3. Declaration that the Awure Family is the only party entitled to claim compensation under Executive Instrument E.I. 10 of 2004.
4. That further proceedings will be stayed if within the time limited for appearance the Defendant pay that amount claimed to the Plaintiff or their lawyer”.
The Defendant also counterclaimed against the Plaintiff with respect to the same subject matter for:
“1. Declaration that Defendant in his capacity as the Tindana of Tindonsobligo is the allodial owner of all Tindonsobligo lands including the land declared vested in the state by E.I. 10 of 2004 particularly described by schedule ‘C’ to E. I. 10 and is the proper person to be paid compensation.
2. Declaration that an amount of ¢206,030,000.00 freeholders Reversio