Adentan High Court reaffirmes Solomon Mintah Ackah as head of Akwanor Royal family

On Monday, July 8, 2024, Her Ladyship Justice Mariama Sammo, presiding over the Adentan High Court 2 in Accra, reaffirmed Solomon Mintah Ackaa as the Head of the Akwanor Royal Family of Ashalaja, a suburb of Accra.

Previously, on March 24, 2023, the same court, presided over by Justice Fred Kwasi Awuah, had granted Nii Moshay Akwanor an interlocutory injunction restraining Solomon Mintah Ackaah. This injunction prevented Ackaah, his agents, servants, assigns, privies, or anyone associated with him from carrying out activities mentioned in the application, particularly concerning the installation of a chief or queen mother of the Akwanor Royal Family of Ashalaja, pending the final determination of the suit.

In overturning the interlocutory injunction, Justice Mariama Sammo stated that the status quo—where Solomon Mintah Ackaah is recognized as the head of the Akwanor Royal Family of Ashalaja—should be restored pending the final determination of the substantive suit.

Thus, the High Court set aside the earlier interlocutory injunction against Solomon Mintah Ackaah, restoring him as the head of the Akwanor Royal Family of Ashalaja.

In her ruling, Justice Mariama Sammo expressed the opinion that the court had exceeded its jurisdiction by restraining the applicant from installing a chief or queen mother. She stated, "I am of the opinion that this court exceeded its jurisdiction when it made the orders that the applicant is restrained from installing a chief or queen mother. By the excess of this jurisdiction, I am inclined to believe that the interlocutory order should not be made to stand."

She further noted, "In order not to prejudice the outcome of this case and the other one pending at the Tema High Court, I shall grant the instant application in order to preserve the status quo. For the avoidance of doubt, the present application for an order to set aside the order for interlocutory injunction is granted as prayed."

The court concluded by stating, "The ruling of this court (differently constituted) dated March 24, 2023, which sought to restrain the applicant, his agents, servants, assigns, privies, howsoever described from carrying out any activities mentioned in the application, especially concerning the installation of a chief or queen mother of the Akwanor Royal Family of Ashalaja, pending the final determination of the suit, is hereby set aside."

"The status quo, which is that the applicant is the head of the Akwanor Royal Family of Ashalaja, is hereby restored pending the final determination of the substantive suit. There would be no order as to costs."

Following the ruling, Solomon Mintah Ackaah, Head of the Akwanor Royal Family of Ashalaja, addressed a publication in the Ghanaian Times newspaper, which falsely claimed that he had been perpetually restrained. He called on the public to disregard the misleading publication.