A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, the nation’s capital, has ordered Craneburg construction company to stop work on the ongoing site of the Ibadan Circular road project.
The court’s order was part of the prayers it granted in a suit filed by ENL Consortium limited against Oyo State government, Craneburg construction company, and three others.
Recall that the controversy surrounding the Ibadan circular project began to fester after the Seyi Makinde led administration terminated the contract for the construction of the multi-billion naira road project which was awarded to ENL construction by the administration of late former governor Abiola Ajimobi.
The termination of the contract, ENL argued in a statement in November last year, represents a breach of their agreement, especially since the firm had expended N3.9bn of its funds for bush clearing, compensation to landowners, asphalt laying, networks and rock blasting.
Before the termination, ENL Consortium had constructed road and drainage.
In the suit filed before Justice Enorie Obanor in Abuja, the firm prayed for various orders pending the conclusion of the case. These include:
“An order granting leave to the Claimant/Applicant to serve the originating processes in this suit being Writ of Summons Statement of Claim and other accompaniel processes on the 3rd Defendants/Respondents
” An order granting leave to the Claimant/Applicant to serve the originating processes in this suit being Writ of Summons Statement of Claim and other accompanied processes on the 5 Defendants/Respondents
“An order of Interim Injunction restraining the Defendants from acting either by themselves or through their servants, agents, officials, staff, representatives or any other person(s) connected to them from further interference, disturbance, trespassing, or any
other action or conduct in like manner with the business of the Claimant in respect of a subsisting self-financing Concessionaire of the 32-kilometer East End Wing of the the kilometer proposed The Ibadan Ring Road (the Ibadan Circular Road) under the terms of the Concession Agreement dated 25th August, 2017 with Oyo State Government pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice in this suit,” a copy of the suit read.
In response, the court, after considering available evidence, granted all of the plaintiffs prayers pending the hearing and determination of the motion. The case was also adjourned to July 15.
This was just as it was alleged that Makinde had released the sum of N20 billion to the new contractor in the last two months— N10 billion six weeks ago, and another N10 billion 4 days ago, for a project that should be contractor-financed
