Businessmen petitions Lagos Chief Judge over delay in trial of suit

The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade has been petitioned over delay to commence trial by a Magistrates Court sitting in Igbosere in a N7 million debt suit filed by a businessman, Paul Ojoje against Princely Court.

Ojoje, a businessman and Oil dealer of Rejoice Hope Company petitioned the CJ following several adjournments by the presiding Magistrate O. I Oguntade in a N7million debt suit filed since 2011.

The oil dealer had sued Princely Court, owners of Protea Hotel and Kuramo Waters to court over the alleged refusal of the management of the hotel to pay a sum of N7, 080 million which is the total amount of 60,000 litres of diesel supplied to the company in 2011.

He alleged that it is over a year after the matter was fixed for the commencement of trial, but regreted that the matter has suffered several adjournments as the trial magistrate, ‘refused’ to sit on all the adjourned dates till date.

In a petition signed by his counsel, Mr Maxwell Onogu dated June 8, 2016, the claimant stated: “ We are constrained to write this letter to seek your lordship intervention to help prevent obvious injustice to the plaintiff due to protracted delays on the part of the court.

“The claimant institute the court action in 2011 but the suit has suffered series of adjournments at the instance of the magistrate since June 2011 when the suit was first adjourned for trial.