The Plateau State Government has appealed a judgement delivered by the Jos High Court restraining the Plateau State Government from rebuilding the Jos Terminus Market with the proposed Jaiz bank loan.
In a Notice of Appeal with Suit NO: PLD/J424/2022 dated 2nd December 2022, the Plateau State Government appealed the Judgement of the Jos High Court “the Lower Court” delivered by Hon. Justice S.P. Gang dated the 13” day of September 2022.
Recall that in July 2022, the Plateau State Government had fix a date for the formalization and signing of a paper between her and Jaiz bank that will seal a loan deal for the rebuilding of the Jos Main Market.
The deal was supposed to last for 40 years after which Jaiz bank would handover the market back to the State Government.
Not pleased with the idea of Jaiz bank being an Islamic bank, the indigenes revolted, an action which led to the House of Representative Member, Hon. Dachung Bagos approached a Jos High Court in August 2022, where he got an order on the 13 of September 2022, restraining the Plateau State Government from signing the MoU with Jaiz bank.
Justice P.S Gang had in his ruling granted the injunction in a suit Bagos filed on the 2nd of August 2022, challenging the planned signing of the MoU with Jaiz Bank.
Bagos had through his Counsel Darong Niri, raised four issues for determination before the Court and sought seven reliefs, which the court granted all seven reliefs.
Justice Gang in his ruling granted an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Governor, Plateau State, Plateau State Government and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice from “running, managing , building or entering into any agreement or partnership to build any market in Plateau State, particularly the Jos Main Market”.
The Court also granted that the defendants have no powers whatsoever to run, manage, build and enter into any agreement to build or manage any market in Plateau State, particularly the Jos Main Market.
The Judge also granted that any agreement by the Plateau State Governor, Plateau State Government, Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice to build any market in Plateau State and particularly Jos Main Market without complying with the mandatory provisions of sections 31 to 70 of the Plateau State Public-private partnership law, 2017 is “unlawful, illegal, null and void.”
Lalong is however in court to reverse this judgement.
