The case between the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP) Lagos State Chapter and the Lagos State Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) has once again been adjourned.
The adjournment was predominantly due to the absence of the Defense Counsel to HEFAMAA in the matter.
When the matter came up on Friday, April 1, 2022, the trial judge, Honourable Justice Olatokun of Ikeja Judicial Division of the High Court of Lagos had no option than to adjourn the case till April 8.
Recalled that the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP) Lagos Chapter had taken the Lagos State Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) to court over monitoring procedures leading to physical attack on a 73 years old medical doctor by the Executive Secretary of HEFAMAA, Dr. Mrs Abiola Idowu.
According to ANPMP, Dr Abiola Idowu by slapping a medical doctor has violated Civil Service rules of Lagos State and should be removed.
Lead Council to the Medical Practitioners, Abimbola Akeredolu (SAN) said “We have a motion for injunction, the state opposed the motion, we file our reply, but we were only able to file it yesterday, so we have not been able to serve the state, if they had come this morning we would have served them.
“Nigerian constitution is clear about fair hearing, the other side must be heard; so we need their reply before we can argue the application. So we conceded, asked for adjournment so that we serve them the reply and inform them about next Friday date when the matter will be coming up, Akeredolu disclosed.
The legal luminary said the adjournment was occasioned by the absence of the Lagos State representatives and the late reply the motion brought by the state.
She spoke further on what she felt was reason the Lagos State team were absent in court, she said “They want to delay the case.”
On the next line of action if the state continues to be absent in court, Akeredolu said “We can ask the judge to take the counter affidavit and written address as read, and when she is writing her ruling she will look at what they filed.”
Dr Makinde Akinlemibola, Chairman of ANPMP said there is no reason to worry. “Well the process is going on and we are praying that by the next sitting they will come.”
Speaking on suspicion of foul play, “I can’t see any foul play, my belief is that they must have their own reasons for not coming, as long as the reason is acceptable to the court, so I don’t have any problem with that.”
Dr Akinlemibola spoke on the incessant adjournments of Nigerian Courts and the Nigerian legal process holistically, he said “In fairness it could happen to anybody. What if, just as one is coming something happened, maybe an accident or something, that becomes a more important thing to attend to than coming to court, yes it is unfair, but at the same time it could be a very concrete reason not to be in court, so we wait and see, let’s hear the reason they are giving for not coming.”
