Enugu State High Court presided over by Justice F.I.N Ngwu has issued a last warning to a former Judge, Hon. Justice K.N Udeh, retd., for contempt.
Last week, the court issued form 48, a notice of consequences of disobedience to order of court, to Udeh for flagrant disobedience of its order to stay action on a panel that he heads.
At the resumed hearing on the matter filed by some aggrieved members of Ngwo community seeking for removal of Justice Udeh as head of a panel of inquiry, Justice Ngwu stressed that the respondents, including Udeh and the Attorney General of Enugu State were aware that his order still subsists which if further violated may land the respondents in prison.
Counsel to the respondents, Mr. A. Bekue , claimed that his clients were not served with the form 48 but the presiding Judge ruled that from the evidence before the court, the respondents were duly served.
The Ngwo people in their application to the court asked for Udeh’s disqualification from the panel probing sale of properties of the defunct Nigeria Coal Corporation in Enugu.
The group contended that Udeh will be biased on the matter since he had in 2005 headed another panel whose verdict was not in the interest of Ngwo community.
The court upon a motion ex-parte, restrained the panel from further steps in connection with the suit pending the determination of motion on notice.
But Udeh’s panel allegedly continued sitting, resulting to the threat of the court to commit the panel members to prison.
Counsel to the applicants, Mr. Alex Amujiorju said that he was shocked that Justice Udeh, who knows the law in and out could flout court order with impunity.
The matter was adjourned to January 25, 2018 for further arguments.
Source: Vanguard
