Court summons Minister, Perm-Sec to testify in lawyer’s suit against businesswoman

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4 years ago

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has summoned the Minister of State for Health, Dr Adeleke Olorunnimbe Mamora, to appear before it on May 24, 2021, to give evidence in the suit filed against a businesswoman and her firm over non-payment of outstanding N10 million legal fee.

Also summoned to appear on the same date to give evidence is the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Alhaji A.M Abdullahi.

An Abuja based lawyer, Bola Aidi had, in a suit numbered, CV/550/2021 prayed the court to order the businesswoman, Chief Adunni Udu and her company, Accouns Nigeria Limited to pay him N10 million outstanding balance of the ten per cent contingent fees on the mediation and resolution of the dispute between them and the Federal Ministry of Health, in respect of the HIV determine test kits supplied to Lagos, Ekiti, Plateau and Kano States.

The subpoena issued to the Minister of State for Health received in the ministry on March 25 reads, “You are commanded in the name of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to attend before his Lordship, Hon Justice Babangida Hassan (Court 30), Jabi High Court, Abuja, on May 24, 2021, at 9’Oclock in the forenoon and from day to day till the above cause is tried, to give evidence in this matter on behalf of the claimant.”

In the subpoena issued by Justice Babangida Hassan on March 23, the Permanent Secretary was ordered to produce certified true copies of the files of Accouns Nigeria Limited for contract numbers, FMA/FMH/SOML/CP/5714/1, FMA/FMH/SOML/CP/5712/1, FMA/FMH/SOML/CP/5713/1, FMA/FMH/SOML/CP/5709/1 and FMA/FMH/SOML/CP/5701/1.

Aidi, in his suit dated February 24, 2021, also wants the court to order the defendants to pay him N1 million cost of instituting the legal action as well as a post-judgment interest of 10per cent annually from the date of judgment until the judgment sum is finally paid.

In a statement of claim, the plaintiff averred that sometime in September 2019, Chief Adunni Udu (2nd defendant), acting as the Chief Executive Officer of the 1st defendant engaged him to accompany her to the Federal Ministry of Health for the purpose of perusal of legal documentation evidencing the award of a contract to the company.

He said, he assisted the defendants in getting the contract from the Ministry for the supply of 110, 908 numbers of HIV, Determine test kits to Lagos, Zamfara, Plateau, Kano, Sokoto and Ekiti states for N60, 999, 400.00 each, with him signing as the company secretary in witnessing the agreement.

Aidi told the court in his Writ of Summons that because of the long-standing personal relationship with Chief Udu, he asked her to use her discretion in paying him his fee, but that she failed to pay any fee on the service till date.

The plaintiff, who insisted that N10 million, being outstanding must be paid to him by the defendants, added that, despite the intervention of a senior lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), the 2nd defendant has not paid him the balance of N10 million till date.

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Court summons Minister, Perm-Sec to testify in lawyer’s suit against businesswoman

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