Paris Club Refund: Again, Court Summons Emefiele Over $53m Debt
A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, ordered Godwin Emefiele, Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to appear before it on July 19 over a 53 million dollar-judgment debt arising from the Pars Club refund.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, who gave the order during the hearing of a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1193/2017, insisted that the court would not hear Emefiele’s motion for stay until he appeared in court.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Ekwo had, on Oct. 20, 2022, ordered the CBN governor to appear in court on Jan. 18 over his alleged refusal to obey the order of the court for the payment of the judgment debt in favour of a legal practitioner, Joe Agi, SAN.
However, on the Jan. 18, proceedings could not go on as scheduled when the matter was called, prompting the court to subsequently adjourned the case till March 20.
Agi had dragged Linas International Ltd, Minister of Finance and CBN to court as 1st to 3rd judgment debtors respectively, following an application for garnishee made by him as judgment creditor in the case.
Upon resumed hearing on Tuesday, Agi’s counsel, Ayodele Arotiowa, informed that on the last adjourned date, the court made an order that Mr Emefiele should appear in court on the next date and that the order had not been obeyed.
Audu Anuga, SAN, who appeared for Emefiele and CBN, reminded that the court did not sit on the last adjourned date.
“There is an intervening circumstance which we have brought to the attention of the court by filing of affidavit of fact,” he said.
The judge then asked when the appeal was filed by Anuga.
“The appeal was filed on the 28th day of October, 2022,” the lawyer responded.
He said besides the appeal, they also filed a motion for stay.
Anuga, who said that the appeal had been entered, said that was why they filed affidavit of fact.
