Suspended LGAs In Plateau: Justice Samchi Orders Court Bailiff To Effect Service On Gov Mutfwang, Attorney General
Yakubu Busari
Honourable Justice S.B.Samchi sitting at No15, State High Court on Thursday has ordered the Court Bailiff to serve Plateau State Governor Caleb’s Mutfwang and the Attorney General of the state with the pre-hearing notice before the 18th Day of October 2023.
He said, the matter was adjourned to the 12th of October, 2023 for mentioning but due to non-filing of processes the court is handicapped to grant all prayers sought by the claimants.
He disclosed that the Chief Judge, Honourable Justice David Mann earlier this year handed over the case files to Justice Ishaku Kunda, as the matter was filed on the 5th May 2023,
He stressed that Justice Ishaku Kunda presided over it before the vacation period and he returned back the filed.
However, he stated that during the vacation Justice Simon Bakfur attempted to hear it when the case filed was returned to the chief judge again.
According to Samchi, sitting at No 15 of Plateau State High Court the claimant counsel, Top Kekemeke , Esq , that his court is the 3rd court to test long delayed after 29th September,2023.
He reiterated that the chief judge handed over the files to him on the 4th of October, 2023 and the files arrived at his office on the 5th day of October, 2023 and he immediately gave the directive for counsels to be notified.
Samchi said the defendant’s counsel, Mr. M.K.Malan was yet to receive service from the bailiff subsequently no appearance from the defense but the claimant gave a chronicle of what transpired before him .
He explained further that the claimant applied for the court to commence hearing on originating surmount but the court is constrained by the absence of the defense counsel.
Top Kekemeke told the court that the proceedings have been stalled since they filed on 18/04/2023 which was at least five months after the claimant filed the originating surmount and no counter affidavit was filed by the defense counsel.
Additionally, the defense instead engaged in the process of turning the hearing into an academic exercise because the defense counsel’s office was completely locked and key.
Top kekemeke explained that the claimant made a series of calls to inform him of notice of hearing scheduled today, including that of bailiff but couldn’t pick up.
