Court orders purported Chief of Sirigu to restrain himself out as such

The Bolgatanga High Court has ruled in favour of two persons that filed a petition against four others in connection with the purported installation of a Chief for the Sirigu Traditional Area of the Upper East Region. 

The Complainants, Francis Ayamga and Abalungo Akobulgo both natives of Sirigu filed a petition in court against Roland Akwara Atogumdeya, Dongdana Ania Nsoh, Tindana Ayamga Agani, Agoma Apogwia of Awonzogobisi for illegally declaring the first respondent, Mr. Atogumdeya as the substantive Paramount Chief for the area without following due process. 

The petition which was channeled through the regional house of chiefs and filed along with an application of interlocutory order of injunction sought to restrain Mr. Atogumdeya for holding himself out as chief and his cohorts for outdooring him as such.

The injunction gave a specified order restraining the accused persons from outdooring Mr. Atogumdeya but they vehemently defied the directive and went ahead to outdoor him on August 2, 2015. 

Aftermath the said event, ten other persons that were cited for their alleged involvement in the ceremony on November 11, 2015 were charged for contempt by the Judicial Committee of the regional house of chiefs.

They are Agoma Apowiga, Ali Alenya Akwara, James Nsoh and Ibrahim Awogbo and Mark Awogbo.

The rest are  Eden Akurigo, Wisdom Akurigo, Nsoh Asingya, Ayamga Aganeba and Musah Apisigre.

 In its sitting yesterday,  the Supervising High Court Judge, Justice Jacob Mbawini Boon, convicted the first respondent together with the accused persons after they admit to committing the offence. 

In addition to the proceeding, the court declared the outdooring event null, void and of no effect. 

This simply implies that the event never existed as clearly defined by the court. 

 

Roland Atogumdeya on the day of his purported outdooring as Chief of Sirigu

Mr. Roland Atogumdeya (1^st Respondent) was slapped with a fine of two thousand Ghana cedis or in default made to faces a 7- day prison term. 

The others were made to sign a bond to be a good behaviour for 12 months and should they breach the order, they will subsequently be imprisoned for 18 months.

 However, the judgment was passed after lawyer of the contemnors pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy by dealing with them leniently since they admitted to have flouted its orders. 

Finally, the first respondent and his accomplices were made to pay three thousand Ghana cedis as cost to the applicants. 

Per the ruling, Mr. Atogumdeya is henceforth barred from parading or pronouncing himself as chief pending final determination of the petition laid before the regional house chief judicial committee. Meanwhile, all contestants to the Sirigu skin affair are also restrained from any negative tendency contrary to the ruling of the court.

Council for the petitioners is Lawyer, John Akparibo Ndebugre.

The Sirigu skin became vacant following the demise of the Paramount Chief of the Area, Adumbire Akwara, who died in 2007. 

The Sirigu skin affair is considered one of the critical chieftaincy issues being brought before the Judicial Committee of the regional house of chief for redress. 

GBC