Justice M. G. Umar of Federal High Court 5, Abuja, has fixed Wednesday, May 13, for hearing in a suit filed by the Gwagwalada Football Stakeholders against the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The case, which was first mentioned in March, was adjourned after the absence of the FCT Minister in court.
The Gwagwalada Football Stakeholders, who are the claimant/applicant in the matter, were fully represented during the proceedings by their counsel, Babatunde Akintade Legal Consult.
At the last sitting, Justice Umar ruled that the matter be adjourned to allow the Minister of the FCT the opportunity to appear before the court for hearing.
Speaking after the proceedings, lead counsel to the Gwagwalada Football Stakeholders, Babatunde Akintade, expressed optimism that the defendant would appear in court on the new hearing date.
Akintade said the stakeholders were not making unreasonable demands but were only seeking transparency concerning sports infrastructure projects in Gwagwalada and across the Federal Capital Territory.
“Our clients are not asking for too much,” he said.
“They simply want the relevant information concerning the abandoned stadiums in their Area Council and others in the Federal Capital Territory.”
According to him, the request by the stakeholders is in line with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.
The Gwagwalada Football Stakeholders had earlier written to the FCT Minister late last year, requesting details regarding several abandoned stadium projects across the territory, invoking the Freedom of Information law to obtain the relevant records.
