Court Joins Education Ministry In Suit Seeking To Stop Examination On Saturdays

The Federal High Court in Abuja has joined the Federal Ministry of Education in a suit filed by a Seventh-day Adventist member seeking to stop the conduct of examinations and elections on Saturdays.

The court also joined the Council of Legal Education to the suit following an application by the plaintiff that the two agencies be joined to the suit.

When the hearing commenced on Tuesday, in the suit instituted by one Ugochukwu Uchenwa, seeking an order of the court to stop the conduct of examinations and elections on Saturdays, counsel for the plaintiff, Benjamin Amaefule told the court that he had an application filed on March 29, for joinder pending in court.

The lawyer told the court that he had attached relevant exhibits to the application to show that the council was conducting examination on Saturdays.

He stated that the Ministry of Education was being joined to the suit since all education institutions were under it to stop universities and other institutions of higher learning in the country from conducting academic activities on non-academic days.

Out of the six reliefs sought by the plaintiff, from the court, Justice James Omotosho granted only four of the reliefs.

The reliefs granted include: “An order of the court joining the Council of Legal Education and the Federal Ministry of Education to the suit.

“An order of the court allowing the applicant to amend the system in support of the originating application in the suit.

“An order granting leave to the application to amend the originating motion to reflect the parties joined.

There was no opposition to the application for a joinder from the respondents.

Justice Omotosho adjourned the matter to October 23 for hearing.

The respondents in the suit are the President, the Attorney -General of the Federation, the Minister of Internal Affairs, the West African Examination Council, (WAEC) and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, (JAMB).

Others are the National Examination Council, (NECO), the National Business and Technical Examinations Board, Council of Legal Education and the Ministry of Education.