TB Joshua Building Collapse: High Court To Rule On SCOAN Application December 22

A federal high court holding at Ikeja, Lagos has fixed Monday, December 22nd, 2014 as the date for the hearing of the application filed by The SCOAN through its lawyer, Olalekan Ojo. According to the application, the coroner has exceeded its jurisdiction by dabbling into extraneous areas instead of concentrating on the cause of death of persons in the collapsed building. It would be recalled that the application which was filed before Justice Lateefa Okunnu had postponed ruling on two occasions. Notwithstanding, Chief Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe continued with proceedings today at the coroner�s inquest. According to Komolafe, who adjusted the timetable of the proceedings, the court would have to work assiduously to ensure that it fulfills the primary objectives of its constitution. He urged all witnesses, especially those who were absent, to endeavor to attend the subsequent proceedings, stressing that their failure to attend was not unconnected with the breaks that had characterized the entire process as a result of the application filed by The SCOAN through its lawyer. It would be recalled that Komolafe had last week dismissed the application seeking a temporary stay of proceedings at the coroner�s inquest pending the outcome of the high court application, insisting that it lacked the jurisdiction to rule on the matter. During the proceedings, the witness for the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), Mr. Theophilus concluded his submissions. He told the court that their findings from preliminary investigations were not final, reiterating what Mr Pede Obayi, the Director in charge of SON�s Inspectorate Division had told the court in earlier sessions. He made this submission while undergoing cross-examination by counsel to The SCOAN, Olalekan Ojo. It would be recalled that the Standards Organization of Nigeria had, through Mr. Pede Obayi, previously told the court that all the materials used in the collapsed building were duly certified by SON. The inquest is set to continue next week beginning from Monday, December 15, 2014.