Plateau: Suit seeking to stop road construction gets February 27 date

The Plateau State High Court sitting in Pankshin,  Wednesday, fixed February 27, 2025 for hearing of a suit filed by the state government seeking to stop Rep Yusuf Gagdi from continuing with the construction of 33km road he embarked upon as his community service to his constituents.

Justice Charles Donglong held that he fixed  the date to allow Gagdi’s lawyer, Johnson Usman, SAN, filed their responses to the motion for interlocutory injunction and the originating summons filed by the Plateau State government.

Gagdi is a member representing Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency of Plateau in the House of Representatives.

The state government and its Attorney-General, P.A Daffi, had, in the suit marked: PLD/P5/2025, sued the lawmaker and Orion Acres Ltd as 1st and 2nd defendants.

Part of the seven reliefs sought is “a declaration that the contract for the construction of Gunji-Shiwer-Dokpai Road with Spur to Tiplik (33km) awarded by the Plateau State Government to Hajaig Nigeria Limited in 2008 remains valid and subsisting. 

“A declaration that the 1st defendant lacks the constitutional and legal competence to award a fresh contract for the same road project, which had already been awarded by the Plateau State Government.”

They therefore sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining Gagdi or any person acting through him from interfering with the contract validly awarded by the state government to Hajaig Nigeria Limited. 

They also sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining the company from taking any steps to execute, implement, or in any way carry out construction work on the 33km road pursuant to the contract purportedly awarded by the lawmaker. 

They further sought an order directing the defendants to pay the sum of N100 million only as general damages for unlawfully interfering with the contractual rights of the state government and Hajaig Nigeria Limited. 

When the case came up on Wednesday, counsel to the state government, Dashak, informed the court that they had “a motion on notice for interlocutory injunction to restrain Hon. Gagdi from further constructing the road.” 

But Gagdi’s lawyer, Usman, SAN, raised an objection to hearing of the application on the ground that the defendants were still within time to file their counter-affidavit in opposition to both the motion for interlocutory injunction and the originating summons.

The senior lawyer then prayed the court to hear both the motion on notice and the originating summons together, having regard to the facts that the suit was commenced by originating summons.  

While arguing, counsel to the company (2nd defendant), Isiaka Kadiri, aligned himself with the submission of Usman.

Justice Donglong has adjourned the matter until Feb 27 for hearing of both the motion on notice and the originating summons.