Isa Umar Gusau
23 June 2008
Maiduguri — Broadcast activities at the north east zonal network centre of the Nigeria Television Authority in Maiduguri were at the weekend brought to a stand still over an order by a Federal High Court directing that the three vehicles belonging to the NTA be impounded for failure of the broadcast station to honour the payment of N1,500,000 as damages to a complainant as ruled by the court.
The Federal High Court sitting in Maiduguri had last year ruled against the Nigeria Television Authority along with a serving Senator, Kaka Malam Yale, in a case filed by one Ibrahim Dudu Gwoza, claiming damages for an alleged defamation of his character.
Our correspondent reports that a tussle ensued between staff of the television house on one side and court officials, leading some police men as well as counsel to the plaintiff, Barrister Mercel Oru, who were at the premises of the NTA to see that the order of the court was carried out.
The court bailiff stamped order of impoundment on three vehicles while a truck was used to block the entrance into the NTA with a view to enforcing the order. However officials of NTA closed the gates into the premises, refusing to allow the vehicles to move out because according to them, they were not informed about the issue while they were awaiting NTA's counsel to arrive the premises.
On arrival, counsel to the NTA, Barrister AbdurRahman Ibnu Muhammad said the order of the court had caught them off-guard, as no notice was served on them before the execution of the order.
He admitted that the court ruled against the television authority, but that a motion was also filed to stay action on the ruling against NTA, emphasising that the motion was yet to be heard and as such still effective until the court invalidates it.
In a sharp contrast, the counsel to the complainant, Barrister Mercel Oru, who said he was in the premises to observe the execution of the court order, accused the NTA of breaking the law. He said NTA officials had no right to stop the impounding since it was ordered by the court except to go back to court after the order has been enforced.
Daily Trust reports that the execution of the order, could not take place as at Friday when the impasse began following insistence by the two parties.
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