The attention of Chief Dr. Innocent Chukwuma OFR popularly known as Innoson has been drawn to a misleading publication making the rounds on various media platform seeking to suggest that Innoson and it’s legal representatives led by Chief George Uwechue SAN and Prof McCarthy Mbadugha deliberately failed to appear before the Court – Hon. Justice Olushola Williams of the High Court of Lagos State, Ikeja Division yesterday being the 4th of July 2018.
Ordinarily, we would have ignored the said misleading publication based on its lack of merit, but we have deemed it fit to address the facts of the issue because of people all over the world who have been following this trumped up charge.
1. On the 22nd of June 2018, Innoson through his counsel was informed in the open court by the registrar of Hon Justice Mojisola Dada that the Chief Judge of Lagos State has ordered a retrieval of the case file. The withdrawal was subject to a directive by the National Judicial Counsel to the Chief Judge to retrieve the case file and reassign it to another Judge based on a petition by Innoson against Hon Justice Dada.
2. The Legal representatives of Innoson are not aware that the case has been reassigned to another Judge because as at today, neither Innoson nor his legal representatives was served with any hearing notice nor any notice informing them that the Chief Judge of Lagos State has reassigned the case to Honourable Justice Olushola Williams. Also none of them was served with any notice informing them that the case was coming up on July 4th 2018.
3. Given that neither Innoson nor its solicitors were informed of the reassignment of the case to Honourable Justice Olushola Williams nor the hearing date, they could not have appeared before the court. Now, the question maybe asked if they were to appear, before which court will they appear and on which date?
4. Innocent Chukwuma OFR has overtime earned a tremendous reputation for excellence, integrity, corporate best practices and strict adherence to the highest standards of ethics in global business and has stated at various instances, that he is not afraid of arraignment but must be arraigned through due process of the law.
5. Innocent Chukwuma OFR is confident that the Nigerian judiciary is impartial, and will not conduct itself in a manner which is alien to the laws judges exist to interpret and defend and will therefore not pander to the whims of individuals and groups whose stock in trade and customs is to approach equity with smeared hands and seek to trick the judiciary into miscarrying justice.
6. Meanwhile, Guaranty Trust Bank, GTB has failed to pay the over N14 Billion Judgement debt it owes to Innoson to an interest yielding account in the name of the Deputy Chief Registrar of The Court of Appeal pursuant to The Court of Appeals Order of 9th December 2014 despite its motion for stay of execution of that Court of Appeal order being struck out by the Supreme Court on 7th June 2018.
It will be recalled that GTB had through an affidavit it filled at The Court of Appeal stated that it will collapse if it complies with the order that is paying the Judgement Debt into an interest yielding account.
Cornel Osigwe.
Group Head, Corporate Communications & Spokesperson to Dr. Innocent Chukwuma OFR
