Divorce: Ex-presidential Aspirant, Olawepo-Hashim to Pay Estranged Wife £15m

•London court gives July 8 compliant date

Alex Enumah in Abuja

A United Kingdom court has ordered a former presidential aspirant, Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim to pay the sum of £15 million to his estranged wife, Funmi Olawepo-Hashim.

The order was sequel to the successful resolution of a divorce suit in favour of the wife.

Deputy District, Judge Fox Sat of Central Family Court, First Avenue House, 42-49 High Holborn, London, WC1V 6NP, entered judgment against Olawepo-Hashim in absentia.

The presidential aspirant as observed in the judgment refused to appear in court or engage the services of a legal practitioner in spite of been served with the divorce suit.

A copy of the court judgment obtained by THISDAY, showed that the respondent shall make periodical payments to the applicant for the benefit of the Children from the dissolved marriage.

Payments shall be at the rate of £18,000 per annum per child, payable monthly in arrears by standing order.

The court order read in part: “After hearing counsel, Mr. J. Nosworthy for the applicant and the respondent failing to appear nor being represented.

“After consideration of the bundles, and the preliminary documents filed by Mr. Nosworthy, after hearing evidence from the Applicant and submissions.

“The Children of the Family shall mean Tofunmi Olawepo-Hashim and Tomisin OlawepoHashim (twins) born on December 10, 2010.

“The “Companies” shall mean Transnational Energy Ltd and Bresson A.S. Nigeria Ltd registered in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The “Interim Order” shall mean the order of His Honour Judge Everall QC dated December 7, 2018.

Recitals.”

“The court was satisfied that the respondent had been served with notice of this hearing and all documentation relating to these proceedings and has chosen not to attend nor to be represented.

“The court was satisfied that the respondent has failed to comply with court orders and the Family Procedure Rules and has failed to file his Form E or any of the statements as ordered by the court”, the court held.

Judge Sat further stated that nothing in this order was intended to prevent or affect in any way the applicant’s right to pursue, before the courts of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, proceedings for relief relating to her involvement with the companies (as a shareholder, director or otherwise).

Meanwhile, the court ordered that, “The respondent shall pay the applicant by 4pm on July 8, 2022 a lump sum of £15,000,000 (£15 million Sterling).

“If the respondent fails to pay all or any part of this lump sum by 4pm on 8 July 2022 simple interest shall accrue on the remaining balance of the lump sum at the rate applicable for the time being to a High Court judgment debt (currently 8%).

“The respondent shall pay to the applicant periodical payments for benefit of the children of the family.

“Payments shall be at the rate of £18,000 per annum per child, payable monthly in arrears by standing order. Payments shall start on the first day of the month following the payment in full of the lump sum provided for in (8) above (together with any interest), and shall end on: (a) each child respectively attaining the age of 18 years or ceasing their full-time tertiary education (limited to 1st degree), whichever shall be the later; or (b) a further order.

“The court may (prior to the expiry of the term or subsequently) order a longer period of payment.

“The periodical payments set out in paragraph above shall be varied automatically on the “variationdate”, which shall be on the date of the payment due in June 2023 and at yearly intervals afterwards,” the court held.