By Philip Yatai

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) says that the judgment by a Federal High Court, Abuja, in favour of Messrs D. B. Mangal did not address the ownership of its property at Plot 445 Maitama, Abuja.

The Executive Secretary of the board, Prof. Idris Bugaje said in a statement in Kaduna that the board was working to retrieve the property which was hitherto been illegally occupied by the private developer.  

He said that D. B. Mangal had dragged the board before the court with a claim that its fundamental human rights had been breached when NBTE tried to recover the property in Nov. 2021.

He added that the notice to NBTE was issued on Feb. 25 to appear before the court on Monday, barely one working day notice which in the board’s opinion was not fair.

He said that the court had on Monday (Feb. 28) delivered its judgment in favour of D.B. Mangal, adding however, that the judgment did not in any way address the issue of ownership of the property in dispute.

“We have already instructed our lawyers to immediately file an appeal against the judgment, while we await a court decision on ownership of the said property.  

“The beauty of our judicial system is that a party not satisfied with a judgment of a lower Court can seek redress or relief from a higher Court.

“It should be noted that the suit that was instituted against D. B. Mangal by the NBTE is still pending, and judgment has not been delivered,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Shehu Wada & Co., solicitor to Messrs. D.B. Mangal Nigeria Ltd, petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari over alleged trespass on its property by NBTE.

The solicitor explained that the Certificate of Occupancy on the land was issued to D.B. Mangal Nigeria Ltd. in August 2006.

But Bugaje said that the land was meant for the construction of an 11-story building to be named “Technology House’’ but was illegally allocated to D.B. Mangal Nigeria Ltd who built on it.

He said that the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property in June 2019, recovered and handed over the land, including the structure, Murjanatu House, built on it to the board.

He added that on assumption into office as Executive Secretary of the NBTE in April 2021, I sought the approval of the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, to re-enforce the panel’s decision.

“We got approval and accordingly notified the private developer, D.B. Mangal Nigeria Ltd., of our intention and on Nov. 11, 2021, NBTE successfully took possession of the property,’’ he stated.