Professor Drags Bayelsa Rep, Oseke to Court over Outstanding Professional Fees

Alex Enumah

A Law Professor and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Professor Andrew Chukwuemerie, has dragged the House of Representatives Member representing Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency of Bayelsa State, Hon. Preye Oseke, to court over default in payment of the professional fees for services rendered by the Claimant.

In two separate suits marked: ABJ/CV/3403/21 and ABJ/CV/3404/21, the Claimant is seeking an order of the court compelling the House of Representatives Member to pay the balance of the professional fees owed the Claimant since 2019, when he defended the Federal Lawmaker in respect of the 2019 House of Representatives election.

In the first suit, the Claimant is demanding an order of the court compelling the Defendant to pay him the sum of N24,500,500, being and representing the payment on a quantum merit basis, out of the N35 million agreed professional fee for instituting a suit against one of the Defendant’s  opponents in the then 2019 House of Representatives poll (Rt. Hon. Benson Konbowei).

While the Claimant is also seeking payment of N5 million as exemplary and punitive damages against the Defendant, he also asked for another N20 million as the cost of the suit.

In the second suit which has to do with defending the Lawmaker at both the Election Petition Tribunal and at the Court of Appeal also in 2019, the Senior Advocate is claiming the sum of N20 million as outstanding professional fees, another N500,000 as outstanding appearance fees, and the sum of N15 million as cost of the suit.

According to the Claimant, the Defendant had engaged him to defend his victory at the Election Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal in 2019. Oseke had contested the seat of the Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency in 2019 under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and won the election, which was challenged by his opponent.

The Claimant said due to his professional competence and diligent defence, Oseke won at both the Tribunal and the appellate court.

He said the problem started after Oseke’s victory at the Court of Appeal when he refused to pay him his outstanding professional fees, and would neither answer his telephone calls, nor reply his text messages.

According to the Claimant, at the time of the election cases, the Defendant had claimed that he was cashed-strapped and promised to pay his debt immediately he has any money, adding that once he started at the National Assembly and gets paid, he would pay the debt.

The Claimant however, disclosed that several attempts to get the Lawmaker to fulfil his promises have failed to yield results, adding that the Defendant  has “remained recalcitrant and unwilling to pay his debt”.

Professor Chukwuemerie concluded that, “it is now obvious that the Defendant will not pay those fees, except he is compelled by an order of this court”.

The matter has been adjourned to May 11, 2022 for hearing.