- As Appeal Court arrest contempt ruling
BY EDMOND ODOK, ABUJA – The Director General, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr Alex A. Okoh, has narrowly escaped serving a one-month jail term for contempt of court
All thanks to the Court of Appeal Abuja Division that ordered an immediate stay of execution of the Ruling/Committal Order of Justice A.I. Chikere of the Federal High Court Abuja that Mr Okoh, be remanded in prison custody for a minimum of 30 days for flouting court orders.
Delivering their judgment in Appeal number CA/A/117/M/2019, the three man Appeal Court panel of Justice S. J. Adah, Justice R. M. Abdulahi and Justice M. B. Idris po, directed all the parties to maintain status quo ante pending the hearing and determination of the motion fixed for January 20, 2020.
The restraining order read by the Appeal panel Chairman, Justice S. J. Adah, said in part that; ”An order restraining the respondent, the Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, their servants, agents, law enforcement agents and persons acting for or on behalf of the Respondent from enforcing, attempting to enforce arrest or imprisoning the 2nd Respondent/Applicant pursuant to the ruling/committal order of the Federal High Court, Abuja, Coram Chikere J. dated 17th December, 2019 in the suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/583/2004 BFI Group Corporation v Bureau of Public Enterprises, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed by the Appellants/ Applicants”,
A statement by the Head, Public Communications in BPE, Amina Tukur Othman, disclosed that a committal proceeding was instituted against BPE and its Director General, Mr Alex A. Okoh, following an allegation that the Bureau failed to fully execute the judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and Court of Appeal in the matter of BFIG v. BPE.
The statement however explained that BPE has at all times complied with all judgments in respect of ALSCON.
It further claimed that BFIG has consistently failed to meet its financial commitments as directed by the courts to pay the bid price of USD$410 million as submitted by BFIG in 2004.
