THE Edo State Government under the leadership of Governor Godwin Obaseki made vaccination compulsory for all the residents in the state.
Some public spirited individuals took the government to court to stop the mandatory vaccination and they were represented by Chief E.O Odey Esq who led S.C Eziefule Esq and reported to the Federal High Court today, September 17 that the Edo State government had been disobeying the court order restraining it from embarking on the vaccination.
To the consternation of the applicant, the Judge denied making such order of injunction and searched for it in futility. The Judge then called on the court registrar to read out to the open court all the enrolled orders of court in the court’s file which he did but the injunction which the applicant claimed was granted was conspicuously missing.
The Judge then asked the lead Counsel whether he was physically present in court when the alleged ex parte order was granted to which the learned Counsel responded that it was his junior who was present in court on that day. The junior counsel then said he took the enrolled order given to him which didn’t contain the injunction to the court secretary pointing out the omission to him and got the secretary to add the order of injunction.
The visibly enraged judge then ordered both counsel into the dock and was about to send the duo to prison when a senior counsel, Ken Mozia SAN who was present in court pleaded on their behalf for his Lordship to pardon them in the overall interest of a cordial relationship between the bar and bench. Other learned silks like Wole Iyamu SAN and popular human rights lawyer, Femi Falana SAN joined the plea for mercy to the erring counsels.
The Presiding Judge, Hon. Justice A.T Mohammed granted them pardon but warned them sternly against such conduct in the future. Today being the last day of the FHC sitting due to the annual vacation saw the case being transferred to the Benin Judicial Division of the FHC.