Court adjourns Niger Gov’t case with FG over payment of ground rent

From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

The Federal High Court two sitting in Minna has adjourned the case between Niger State Gov’t and Federal Ministry of Power & Others over payment of Ground Rent to 22nd May, 2024.
In particular, Justice Mohammed Aminu Dan Ige of the Federal High Court 2 adjourned hearing into the suit filed by the Niger State Internal Revenue Service (NGSIRS) against the Federal Ministry of Power.
Others joined in the case are Nigerian Electricity Liability Management Company, Mainstream Energy Solutions Company Ltd and North-South Power Company Ltd to May 22, 2024 as defendants.
It was gathered that the rest joined in the suit No FHC/MN/CS02/ 2024 are the Federal Ministry of Power, Nigerian Electricity Liability Management Company, Mainstream Energy Solutions Ltd and North South Power Company as defendants in the matter.
Justice Dan Ige, who ordered for the adjournment on its hearing of the matter, ruled that the it was to enable both counsels to prepare the necessary applications of the case.
When the matter came up for hearing on Monday, the Counsel to the first and second defendants; Barrister Abdulmalik Usman Dauda filed a motion on notice, challenging the jurisdiction of the court to which counsel to the NGSIRS, Aliyu Ibrahim Lemu SAN, requested for time to reply the motion on point of law.
Consequently, Justice Dan Ige adjourned the case to Wednesday 22nd of May 2024 for the continuation of the hearing of the motion before the commencement of the substantive case to which both counsels collectively agreed.
Speaking in an interview with Journalists shortly after the court sitting, Aliyu Ibrahim Lemu SAN, stated that the court has to commence full hearing on the next adjourned date no matter the delay tactics by the legal teams of the defendants.
On his part, Barrister Abdulmalik Usman Dauda, Counsel to the defendants, stated that they were in court to challenge its Jurisdiction over, through the Motion on Notice filed at the court.
He stated that the Federal High Court is a court of enumerated jurisdiction as provided by Section 251 of the 1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
Recall that the NGSIRS through its legal team led by Mohammed Kudu Ndayako SAN and Aliyu Ibrahim Lemu SAN approached the court requesting it to compel the defendants to pay the sum of over N138 billion being the total of Ground Rent liabilities owed the Niger State Government by the 3 Hydro-electric Power plants in the State.