The Honourable Justice Akintunde Savage sitting in Ikeja Judicial Division on Wednesday, January 17 adjourned the case brought against Federal Housing Authority FHA for allegedly breaching a court order in removing some illegal structures in Festac Town Lagos.
When the matter slated for hearing of all pending applications came up with all parties present in court, the trial Judge however observed that the Claimants Lawyer Mr Adetayo Bello has not filed any application for contempt proceedings, but rather filed Form 48(Notice of consequences disobedience to order of court).
Counsel to FHA Mr. Chris Ekemezie maintained that the Authority is not in breach of any court order as it was never served any restraining order. The counsel further raised that there was no application before the Court to act upon, noting that the Counsel appearing for the Claimants has not filed for change of Counsel.
Bello’s sought for an extension of the court order barring FHA from demolishing the claimants’ buildings was rejected by the Honourable Judge, who questioned the validity of the request.
The matter was thereafter adjourned to 20th February, 2024 for hearing of all applications, including the one filed by the Authority’s lawyer to dismiss the motion.
It should be recalled that Federal Housing Authority in 2018 sought the collaboration of the Lagos State Government for security to enable the Authority’s Development Control Unit enter Festac Phase II to serve Stop work notices to illegal developers.
The Authority as a professional housing delivery agency cannot take responsibility of integrity of the structures it neither approved or supervised, especially when they were built on swampy land with large chances of collapse due to soil type and behavior, and therefore require both professional approvals and supervision.