by Madumere Victor
The Federal High Court sitting in Owerri during the week resumed the proceeding on the case filed by Nze Ekenulo alleging that the tertiary education degrees claimed by the Senator representing Orlu Senatorial Zone were not true. At the proceeding on the 29/11/2013 all the defendants which include Federal University of Technology Owerri, the Attorney General of the Federation did not file any memorandum of appearance for the 3rd time.
Speaking, the Counsel to the plaintiff, Barr Alex Williams NN told the court that he has done everything including personal letters to the defendant to intimate them on the developments on the suit so far but has gotten no response from them.
Bar Williams averred that even if the AG as a statutory defendant can afford to ignore the case, FUTO as the prime/major defendant has no excuses to be absent because he lives and works within the judicial division of the court. He submitted that even if FUTO does not have legal department or external solicitor, they should have respected the court by sending a staff to the court to explain their difficulties; therefore the court cannot guess why FUTO was not available.
The plaintiff counsel went a head to pray the court to adopt the plaintiff’s written brief as it does not commit shelving or lack of fair hearing off of the defendants.
In adjourning the proceeding to the 18/11/2013, the presiding judge, Justice O. O Oguntoyinbo, advised the plaintiff to make his prayers formal by putting it into writing as required by the Federal High Court law and endeavour to serve the defendants before the adjourn date.
