Prince Efe Henry Duku, a Special Adviser to the Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has been asked to pay the sum of N500,000 each to the Governor of Delta State and the Delta State House of Assembly as damages on the suit he filed at the Federal High Court sitting in Asaba, challenging the state government’s N150 billion ‘bridging finance facility’ as approved by the Delta State House of Assembly.
Prince Duku had sued the Delta State Governor, Delta State House of Assembly, Delta State Attorney-General, Zenith Bank PLC, Minister of Finance, Debt Management Bureau and the Attorney-General of the Federation over the loan facility.
Delta State has struck out the suit filed by Prince Efe Henry Duku, challenging the State Government’s N150 billion ‘bridging finance facility’ as approved by the Delta State House of Assembly.
Both the Attorney-General of the state, Isaiah Bozimo and counsel to the Delta State House of Assembly, Ekeme Ohwovoriole, (SAN) filed separate preliminary objections challenging the competence of the suit on grounds that the claimant lacked the requisite locus standi to institute the suit and that there was no reasonable cause of action disclosed in the matter.
The presiding judge, Justice Folashade Olubanjo, in her ruling upheld the preliminary Objections and held that the claimant in his statement of claim did not disclose any wrongful act done by the state government and any damage suffered by him to warrant the filing of the suit.
The court, therefore, ruled that the claimant lacked locus standi to institute the suit before the court and accordingly struck out the case.
The court also held that no reasonable cause of action was disclosed in the claimant’s statement of claim and awarded a cost of N500,000 each against the claimant in favour of the governor of Delta State and the Delta State House of Assembly.
