High Court Slaps Fine Of GH¢6,000.00 On 2 Elders at Plerno
The cost was awarded against two respondents in favour of the Divisional Chief of Kokrobite Community, Nii Ofei III, in a judgement declared recently by Mrs Owusu, following a protracted Kokrobite chieftaincy dispute.
soireenews 
Accra High Court presided over by Her Ladyship, Justice Mrs Olivia Obeng Owusua, has slapped a fine of GH¢ 6,000.00 on two respondents from the Ga Plerno community under the Ngleshie Alata Traditional Area at James Town in the Greater Accra Region in a case of chieftaincy dispute.
The two are Head of Nii Arde Nkpa Family at Ga Plerno, Mr Daniel Nii Tagoe, and Divisional Chief of Ga Plerno, Nii Arde Nkpa VII.
The cost was awarded against the two respondents in favour of the Divisional Chief of Kokrobite Community, Nii Ofei III, in a judgement declared recently by Mrs Owusu, following a protracted Kokrobite chieftaincy dispute.
The case was a chieftaincy dispute between Mr Daniel Nii Tagoe, and Nii Arde Nkpa VII respondents/plaintiffs versus the Divisional Chief of Kokrobite Community, Nii Ofei III (the defendant).
The judgment followed a suit filed by Mr Daniel Nii Tagoe, Nii Arde Nkpa VII respondents/plaintiffs against Nii Ofei, who prayed the court to restrain the latter from parading himself as the Chief of Kokrobite community.
The respondents/plaintiffs challenged the fact that the defendant is the chief of Kokrobite community in Accra, and argued that the purported enstoolment of the defendant as a chief and subsequent gazetting was obtained by fraud and misrepresentations.
Thus the court was brought in to adjudicate upon the status of the defendant in the matter.
However, the court after determining the matter explained that it was a chieftaincy issue within the meaning of Section 117 (1). Therefore by Section 57 of the Courts Act, 1993 (Act 459), the court said it had no jurisdiction to entertain it.
Consequently, the court granted the application to set aside the writ of summons and statement of claim.
The court, therefore, said the matter should be tried in the appropriate chieftaincy forum which saw the court award a cost of GH¢ 6,000.00 in favour of the defendant.
Addressing journalists yesterday at his Krokobite residence, Nii Offei said the case against him had been pursued for the past eleven years after his enstoolment as the Chief of the area.
He noted that Mr Daniel Nii Tagoe and Nii Arde Nkpa Vll and their followers have taken this matter to the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs at Dodowa and Ngleshie Alata Traditional Council in James Town for him to be destooled “but they have always lost in all the cases.”
According to him, the judgement in his favour attested to the fact that he was legally and traditionally nominated, elected, selected and enstooled as the Divisional Chief of Krokobite.
He, therefore, called on the Nii Arde Nkpa We to put an end to the mudslinging against him and rather support him to bring the needed development to the area.
"In the meantime, I want to advise Nii Arde Nkpa We to desist from smearing and assassinating my traditional status, position and character,” he advised.
"Since my chieftaincy status case has now been settled, l am calling on all landowners and developers who indeed didn't buy their lands from me to immediately come and see me for regularisation of their land title documents.
"I am a chief for everyone on the lands of Krokobite, so you must feel free to consult me to change your lands title documents. And I want to add that we shall add a human face to that exercise,” he assured.
Freeman Koryekpor Awlesu Greater Accra Regional Correspondent
