Looters list: court gives new date for PDP national chairman’s suit against FG

Uche Secondus

A Rivers High Court has fixed a new date to hear Prince Uche Secondus, the National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) suit contesting his inclusion in the looters list.

Looters list: court gives new date for PDP national chairman’s suit against FG

The matter was slated for hearing on Monday in Port Harcourt by the Chief Judge of Rivers, Justice Adama Iyayi-Lamikanra.

However, the court on Monday gave June 26 as new date to hear the matter after failing to sit on the adjourned date.

Respondents in the matter were also absent in court at Monday’s adjourned date except the plaintiff’s team, led by Mr Emeka Etiaba (SAN).

Justice Iyayi-Lamikanra, had on April 23 restrained the Federal Government from further mentioning Prince Uche Secondus, in the looters’ list recently published by the government.

The judge also ordered that the hearing notice be served the respondents by the plaintiff.

The order followed a motion brought by Secondus seeking an interlocutory injunction against further publication of his name on the list.

Secondus, in Suit PHC/1013/2018, is suing the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Federal Government and Vintage Press for alleged libel.

The PDP national chairman is asking the court to award him N1.5 billion damages for the alleged libel.

He told the court that listing him as a looter who collected N200 million on Feb. 19, 2015 from the Office of the National Security Adviser was libellous.

The PDP chairman’s counsel, Mr Emeka Etiaba (SAN), said that the judge could hear the suit because his client was defamed by the publication.

Etiaba, who confirmed the new date said in court that his clients was directed in the court room on Monday to take a new date for the matter.

“Unfortunately, we were not told in advance that the court will not sit. We are here. But much as no party was informed that the court will not sit; none of the defendant is in court.

It is instructive that the matter was filed on 6^th of April, 2018 and on the 14^th of April, the defendants were all served by substituted means.

It is about two months or more now and they have not bothered to put appearance, to file any defence, in a matter where they published that Secondus looted the economy of this country.

They have not bothered to come to court to demonstrate how he looted or collected the sum of N250 million from the coffers of government.

It is our believe that having failed to put up appearance, to attend court to file a defence, to depose how the looting was done, the defendants are rough riding the judiciary and the rule of law in this country.

There is no reason why they should not be in court. No individual is above the law.it is very sad. The matter has been adjourned to the 26^th of June,” Etiaba said.

He said that his team undertook “to serve hearing notice on the defendants and then wait and see whether they will respond or not”.

“But on the next adjourned date, if they are not in court, we will move the court to hear the suit. We will not be waiting for defendants who are not willing to submit themselves to the discipline of the judiciary” he said.