NAN-H-79
Adjourment
By Veronica Dariya
Abuja, Jan.23, 2017 (NAN) Justice Kezziah Ogbonnaya of the FCT High Court Kubwa, on Monday adjourned hearing in a suit filed by some traders against FCT minister for allegedly denying them access to shop allocations.
Ogbonnaya adjourned hearing in the matter until Feb.28 to allow the plaintiff’s counsel to serve an amended copy of the suit to the defendant’s counsel, who she ordered, must respond and serve the plaintiff’s counsel within three weeks.
According to the Judge, the next adjourned date will allow for definite hearing, whether or not the counsels are ready with their processes.
She explained that the plaintiffs in the matter patiently left their businesses to appear in court and therefore, time was of the essence.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some Abuja-based traders filed fresh suit seeking N500 million compensation each, against FCT minister, and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) for allegedly denying them access to shop allocations.
The suit, filed by the their counsel, Sepiribo Peters at FCT High Court in Kubwa, wanted a court declaration that the plaintiffs (1, 516 traders) were entitled to occupy and use allocated shops at the Wuye Ultra Modern market.
The suit also seeks an order directing the defendants to pay each plaintiff N500 million as compensation and exemplary damages for unconstitutional, illegal and unlawful denial of the plaintiffs access to the shops.
The suit indicated that the traders, who were formally at Wuse Central Market were offered a letter of provisional offer of shop and spaces by the defendants in 2001 in the sum of N2000, N8000 and N12,000, depending on the shop category.
However, the plaintiffs were later denied the allocation which led to an earlier suit no CV/ 440/12, filed before Justice O.A Musa of FCT High Court, Apo in 2015.
Earlier, Peters, counsel to the plaintiffs applied to the court for an amended copy of the suit while asking the court to delist and enlist some names, remove typographical errors and also asking that the plaintiff be given 14 days to file the amended copy of the suit.
Mrs Regina Ofondu, counsel to the defendants who did not object to the application, however, asked the court to give her time to respond and file her processes while explaining that she had been on annual leave and only resumed on Jan.20. (NAN)
DVK/EEE
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Edited by Ese E. Ekama