Mission Schools: Court Strikes Out Amosun’s Application For Arbitration

An Abeokuta High Court today struck out an application by the Ogun state government against Joint Christian Mission and proprietors of the 23 secondary schools in the state returned to their owners, praying the court to refer the suit by the claimants of all the 23 schools to the Arbitration Panel.

The presiding judge, Justice Iyabo Saula struck out the suit following the application by the state government that its clients wished to withdraw its application and its readiness to pursue the matter in a court of law.

Barrister Wemimo Ogunde, the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice who was the lead counsel to the defendants, said the state government decided to withdraw the suit because of the importance it attached to education.

On his part, the lead counsel to the claimants, Barrister O. Ayanlaja expressed dissatisfaction over the flouting of the court order asking the defendant to “stay action” on the take-over of the affected schools pending the hearing and determination of the suit, saying that the act led to the disruption of public peace in the affected schools.

While acknowledging that the state government disobeyed the court order, Ogunde said he was not aware of the nature and extent of the disobedience.

He noted that the state government might have flouted the order because of the importance it attached to education and its desire to provide free education to both primary and secondary school students in the state.

By Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta