Mbah v. NYSC: Court issues warning against false publication of proceedings, shuts out LP candidate, Edeoga
By Ugochinyere Nwanje
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja led by Justice Inyang Ekwo has today warned against false reportage of court proceedings in the N20 billion suit filed by Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State against the National Youth Service Corp, NYSC.
Justice Ekwo who after issuing the stern warning against reporting what never transpired in court, dismissed an application by the candidate of the Labour Party in Enugu State in the March 18 governorship election, Chijioke Edeoga, desperately seeking to be joined in the suit.
He said: “In this court, I operate an open door policy. I have instructed my registrars to make available to the media whatever document they need. I have always said that all that I want is accurate reportage of proceedings before this court.
“It’s is only in this country that some persons who called themselves journalists will report falsehood and get away with it. I am not even saying you should be objective but report the facts the way they are, that’s why the registrars have been working with the media to ensure court proceedings are not misrepresented”.
He warned about the consequences of misrepresentation of court proceedings.
Meanwhile, counsel to NYSC, Aminu Sadauki, told the court that he filed a notice of preliminary objection and the court asked, if he filed it alongside substantive matter, to which he responded in negative.
Counsel to Governor Mbah, Mr. Emeka Ozoani, SAN, conceded to more time to allow Sadauki regularise his papers,
The court, therefore, fixed adjourned to July 11, 2023 for definite hearing of the substantive matter.
A section of online media, like SAHARAREPORTERS who were not on ground to cover proceedings before the court went ahead to report that Justice Ekwo refused to grant an order of interlocutory injunction sought by the Dr. Mbah, restraining the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, from appearing before the Election Petitions Tribunal to give evidence with respect to the allegedly forged NYSC certificate he presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
However, the application being referred to was never moved before the court set the matter down for definite hearing for July 11.
Also, during Tuesday’s proceedings, the court struck out an application by Chijioke Edeoga, to join as an interested party in the suit.
The court struck out the application for the joinder after it was withdrawn by the applicant.
A reliable source close to Chijioke Edeoga who doesn’t want his name mentioned, told our correspondent that the Labour Party guber candidate had hurriedly informed Saharareporters that the court had refused to grant Mbah’s application to bar NYSC from testifying against him in the tribunal, a false statement which made Saharareporters to publish such information as provided by Edeoga without a thorough investigation.
