Osun Commissioner Dragged To Court For Owing Lagos Apartment Rent

Mr Stephen Kola Balogun

A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has awarded N10,000 cost against Osun State commissioner for Youth, Sports and Special Needs, Mr. Stephen Kola Balogun, for failing to open his defence in the suit against him over alleged refusal to pay his rent and arrears of a rented apartment in Lagos.

The commissioner and his wife were sued by Justice Adeniyi Adetokunbo Ademola, a judge of the Federal High Court over their alleged refusal to pay for the rent of a property located at No. 51C, Oduduwa Crescent in the Government Reserved
Area, GRA, Ikeja. Trial judge in the matter, Justice O.A. Adefope Okojie has, meanwhile adjourned till November 30, 2013 for the defence to open its case, after the claimant had concluded his case against the Commissioner and his wife.

At the last hearing in the matter,  the Commissioner failed to open his defence, but wrote a letter to the court asking for an adjournment. Kola Balogun said the request for adjournment was on the ground that he was billed to attend the Osun State Executive Council meeting on the day of the trial. Not happy by the development, the claimant’s lawyer, Mrs. Deola Saba lamented that the matter had suffered series of adjournments at the instance
of the defendants. Saba had said: “The defendants are being unfair to us. I had to come to court for the defence despite
the fact that my health condition was not that good as well, only to find out that the matter would not be going on as scheduled.” She urged the court to award cost against the defendant.

In a short ruling, Justice Adefope Okojie granted N10, 000 cost against the defendants and granted the defendants last opportunity to defend the case. The judge also fixed November 14, 2013 for definite defence. The claimant (Justice Ademola) had averred in the suit that the Commissioner and his wife refused to vacate the property despite the issuance of quite notice on them.

He lamented that the Commissioner and his wife had been living in the said apartment since August 1, 1997, and that the annual rental value of the property was N2 million. Out of the N2 million rent for 2007, the claimant averred that the commissioner only paid N1.3 million, and consequently failed to pay the remaining N700, 000, adding that the commissioner had never paid the house rent as at when due since the first payment resulting in substantial rent arrears over the years.