Court Stops Plateau Government From Selling Main Market Scraps

A Plateau State High Court has restrained the state government from going ahead with the sale of steel scraps of the Jos main market to Sadis Mohammed and Ahmed Baban Bola of Ashags ventures pending the hearing and determination of a motion on notice.

The court also restrained Ahmed and Baban Bola who are defendants joined in a suit entered by Datanet systems Ltd against the Plateau State government and others from continuing to pack, remove, evacuate or temper with the iron steel scraps from the main market which is up for reconstruction, pending the hearing or determination of the motion on notice.

Datanet systems Ltd, a Jos-based company had filed a case against the Plateau State government, the State Attorney General, Ministry of Trade and Industries as well as Moses Durodola and JN. ST John of MD projects as defendants, asking the court to declare that the contract for the sale of steel scraps from the Jos main market which was offered and entered into agreement between the company and MD project, an agent of the State government in 2003, is still extant and therefore enforceable.

Joined in the suit are the 6th and 7th defendants who recently entered into another agreement with the government and have begun evacuation of the steel scraps from the Jos main market.

Alternatively, the plaintiffs are asking the court to order the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th defendants to refund N15 million paid by them in performance of the contract for the sale of the steel scraps entered into by the Plateau State government and MD Projects.

The return date on the motion on notice is slated for the 10th of March.