Hearing in Soyinka, Oyinlola dispute for Oct 12

THE Federal High Court, Osogbo, has fixed hearing on the leadership tussle rocking the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding (CBCIU), Osogbo, a Category II Facility under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), between the Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka and former Osun State Governor, Mr. Olagunsoye Oyinlola, for Monday, October 12, 2015.

The fixing of this suit seems to have contradicted the claim by Oyinlola-led board of the centre that the court handling the leadership tussle rocking the centre had ruled in its favour.

The notice obtained from the court in Osogbo showed that the hearing of the suit with registration number FHC/OS/CS/3/2013 on the leadership tussle at the centre would commence by 9:00 a.m. on October 12, 2015.

The court order listing the suit for hearing on the date was issued on September 14, 2015 and the state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice and two others, including Governor of Osun State and Noble Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, are listed as defendants in the suit.

The hearing notice, therefore, asked parties to the disputed CBCIU board leadership to make available all the evidence by witnesses or by documents which each of them desires to rely on in support of their case and in contradictions of that of his opponent.

The notice read in part: “The proof will be required at the hearing and not on a subsequent day, and parties failing to bring their evidence forward at the proper time may find themselves absolutely precluded from adducing it at all, or at best only allowed to do so on payment of substantial costs to the other side, and on such other terms as the court thinks fit to impose.

Parties desirous to enforce the attendance of witnesses should apply at once to the court to issue one or more summonses for the attendance of the witnesses required. It is indispensable that the applications should be made so as to allow time for reasonable notice to the witnesses required.

If either party desires to use in evidence during the hearing any book or document in the possession or power of the other party, he must give the other party reasonable notice in writing to produce it at the hearing, failing which he will not be allowed to give any secondary evidence of its contents.