The absence of the defence counsel within the suit difficult the usage of sole administrators to manage the Niger Delta Development Commission, Ume Kalu (SAN), was on Tuesday stalled at a Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

Odighonin Adienbo had on behalf of the Wailing Women of Niger Delta, the Integrity Friends for Truth and Peace Initiative, and others filed the case earlier than the court docket presided over by Justice Isa Dashen in December, 2021, opposing the appointment of sole administrators to run the NDDC.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and NDDC are listed as first and second defendants within the suit marked FHC/YNG/CS/135/2021.

According to the plaintiffs, the idea of sole administrator was alien and opposite to the NDDC Act, which supplies for a constituted board made up of representatives of all states of the area, to handle the affairs of the fee.

When the case was talked about on Tuesday, a lawyer, Samuel Brisibe, instructed the court docket that he was mandated by counsel to the NDDC, Ume Kalu (SAN), to tell the court docket of his absence as a result of cancellation of his flight.

He, due to this fact, appealed to the court docket to adjourn the case to allow Kalu to personally argue the case as he (Brisibe) was not abreast of developments on the matter.

Brisibe additional mentioned that he was solely directed to inform the court docket of the explanations behind Kalu’s absence in court docket.

However, the counsel to the plaintiffs, Goodness Onuoha, frowned on the motive given by Brisibe, including that the defence counsel must have arrived in Yenagoa on Monday forward of Tuesday’s scheduled listening to date.

Onuoha urged the court docket to prevail on the defence to chorus from delaying the dispensation of justice.

Justice Dashen, nevertheless, adjourned the suit to June 28 for continuation of listening to.

He had in March 2022 directed the Attorney-General of the Federation to take away the NDDC from any ministry, together with the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

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