Falana’s law firm sues Gbajabiamila for unpaid N20m professional fee

The law firm of human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), has
sued the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Mr Femi
Gbajabiamila, for his alleged failure to pay N20m professional fee
for the legal services which it rendered to the legislator in
2015.

Falana & Falana Chambers, in the writ of summons which was
filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in
Abuja and marked CV/1190/19 on Wednesday, stated that it had, to no
avail, repeatedly demanded through letters of reminder the payment
of its fees from Gbajabiamila since 2015.

The law firm, through its lawyer, Mrs Funmi Falana, said it
filed its suit against Gbajabiamila because he “is not willing to
pay the plaintiff the sum of N20m being the plaintiff’s
professional fee for representing the defendant in suit Number
FHC/ABJ/CS/501/2015.”

It prayed for among others in its suit, a declaration that
Gbajabiamila’s alleged failure to pay the N20m fee was “a breach of
contract.”

It also sought an order compelling the legislator to pay the
N20m and another directing him “to pay 10 per cent as interest on
the judgement sum from the day the judgement is entered until the
final liquidation of the judgement sum.”

The plaintiff recalled that it, in 2015, defended Gbajabiamila
in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/501/2015.

The suit was filed by the Registered Trustees of Social Justice
and Civil Rights Awareness Initiative against Gbajabiamila, the
House of Representatives and the Attorney-General of the
Federation.

Our correspondent recalled that SJCRAI had in the 2015 suit,
urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to disqualify Gbajabiamila
from contesting the position of the Speaker of the House of
Representatives on the grounds of his alleged “conviction” in the
State of Georgia, US, for unethical practices in the course of his
practice as a lawyer.

Falana’s law firm stated “that having been briefed” by
Gbajabiamila, it swung into action “by filing a memorandum of
conditional appearance, a motion on notice for consequential
amendment, counter-affidavit in opposition to the plaintiff’s
originating summons and notice of preliminary objection.”

It stated in its statement of claim that then presiding judge,
Justice Adamu Abdu-Kafarati of the Federal High Court, Abuja had
determined the suit in favour of Gbajabiamila by striking it out on
May 22, 2018.

It added, “It is the case of the plaintiff that the defendant
(Gbajabiamila) was informed via a letter dated January 24, 2017
that the plaintiff’s professional fee for representing the
defendant in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/501/2015 is N20,000,000 (twenty
million naira). Copy of the said letter is hereby pleaded and the
plaintiff shall rely on same in evidence at the trial of this
suit.

“The plaintiff avers further that his account details were also
provided to enable the defendant to pay the said professional fee
without any difficulties.”

It added, “In September 2018, following the final determination
of suit FHC/ABJ/CS/501/2015 this firm wrote to the defendant
updating him of the progress in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/501/2015 and
demanding the payment of his professional fee.”

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It said it also on January 10, 2019, “wrote a letter to the
defendant demanding his professional fee.

“Notwithstanding repeated demands, the defendant has failed to
pay the plaintiff’s professional fee without any
justification.”