Sokoto State Government Of Nigeria & 2 Ors V Kamdex Nigeria Limited (2007) LLJR-SC

Sokoto State Government Of Nigeria & 2 Ors V Kamdex Nigeria Limited (2007)

LAWGLOBAL HUB Lead Judgment Report

MAHMUD MOHAMMED, JSC

The respondent in this appeal was the plaintiff at the trial Lagos State High Court of Justice where he instituted three suits, LD/3843/1999, LD/3844/1999 and LD/3846/1999, claiming various sums of money from the 1st and 2nd appellants who were the defendants in the suits. After hearing the parties, judgment was entered for the plaintiff/respondent in the three suits which gave rise to three separate appeals numbers CA/L/108/2001, CA/L/109/2001 and CA/L/110/2001 in the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal by the 1st and 2nd defendants/appellants who were not satisfied with the judgments of the trial High Court. These appeals were consolidated and heard by the Court of Appeal which in its judgment delivered on 22-1-2004 dismissed the appeal. Still aggrieved with the judgment of the Court of Appeal, the defendants/appellants have now appealed to this court. In the 1st and 2nd appellant’s brief of argument, the following three issues were formulated from the grounds of appeal:

“(i) Whether a panel of Justices different from the panel of Justices that heard argument from the parties, examined the Record of Appeal, asked vital questions on the 5th November, 2003 can deliver a valid judgment in this appeal on the 22nd day of January 2004

(ii) Whether in view of the circumstances of this suit and the arguments canvassed by the 1st and 2nd appellants on the issue of jurisdiction in their Brief of Argument, the Lagos High Court has jurisdiction to entertain the actions and whether Court of Appeal is not bound to make specific pronouncement on the challenged jurisdiction of the Lagos High Court to hear and determine this suit

(iii) Whether service of the Originating Processes can be properly effected on the 1st and 2nd appellants (Sokoto State Govern-ment of Nigeria and its Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice) in Lagos to wit:-

7, Adeola Odeku Street Victoria Island, Lagos and an adjunct to same whether the said allegedly effected service at 7 Adeola Odeku Street Victoria Island, Lagos ought not to be set aside in view of the contradiction in the actual address on which service was effected and the fact that the 2nd appellant is a natural person

In the brief of argument filed by the plaintiff now respondent in this appeal, three issues were identified as in the appellant’s brief of argument but differently framed to suit the respondent’s case. The issues are:

“(i) Whether the judgment of the Court of Appeal delivered on January 22, 2004 by their lordships coram: Suleiman Galadima, P.O. Aderemi and C.M. Chukwuma-Eneh JJCA became invalid by reason of the fact that Honourable Justice J.O. Ogebe who participated at the hearing of the appeal was not on the panel that delivered the judgment.

(ii) Whether the service of the Originating Processes in the suits leading to this appeal on the appellants at their liaison office in Lagos is valid service in law.

(iii) Whether the findings, pronouncement and resolution by the lower court of issues 1, 2 and 3 identified by the appellant and issues 1, 2, 4 and 5 identified by the respondents do not finally dispose of the issue of jurisdiction as raised and argued in the lower court.”

The first issue for determination is virtually the same in both the appellant’s and the respondent’s briefs of argument. However before proceeding to consider this issue, it is very important to state what actually happened in the proceedings before the Court of Appeal from 5-11-2003, when the appellant’s appeal was heard in that court, to the 22-1-2004 when judgment in the appeal was delivered. This is because it is the facts that transpired during this period that gave rise to the appellants ground (a) of the grounds of appeal from which this first issue was distilled.

The record of this appeal at page 101 shows that the consolidated appeals numbers CA/L/108/2001; CA/L/109/2001; CA/L/110/2001 and CA/L/111/2001 between the same parties in the present appeal came up for hearing before a panel of Justices of the court below comprising of: Hon. Justice J.O. Ogebe – Presiding Justice Honi Justice P.O. Aderemi – Justice Court of Appeal Hon. Justice C.M. Chukwuma-Eneh –Justice Court of Appeal On 5-11-2003. The record of that day reads: “Mr. A.B. Ogunba with Messrs G.C. Duru and O.F. Efunkomaiya for 1st and 2nd appellants. Mr. R.A. Abijo for 3rd appellant. Mr. R. Tarfa SAN with J. Odubela, A. Malgwi & Mrs. D. Adamu-Eteh for the respondent. Court: Only appeals No. 108, 109 and 110 will be taken Appeal 111 is adjourned to abide the result of the consolidated appeals. Mr. Ogunba: We filed the brief on 4/7/01. We also (sic) reply brief on 10/5/02. I adopt them. I urge the court to allow the appeal. Mr. Abijo: I filed 3rd appellant’s brief on 16/10/01 and reply brief on 9/7/02. I adopt them. I urge the court to allow the appeal. Mr. Ricky Tarfa: We filed brief in respect of appeal by 1st and 2nd appellants on 14/2/02. I adopt it. The appeal is against the refusal to set aside the order. I urge the court to dismiss the appeal. As regard 3rd appellant appeal, we filed brief on 2/5/02. There is also a preliminary objection and 3rd appellant filed a reply. I urge the court to uphold the preliminary objection. Court: The appeal is adjourned to 22/1/04 for Judgment. (SGD) J.O. Ogebe Justice, Court of Appeal”

The record of this appeal at page 102 and subsequent pages does not contain any court proceeding to show that the court sat on 22-1-2004 to deliver the judgment in the appellants’ appeal adjourned to that date. However, pages 102 to 129 of the record contain the lead judgment of Aderemi JCA (as he then was) in appeal No CA/L/108/2001 between the parties in this appeal supported by the concurring judgments of Suleiman Galadima JCA and C.M. Chukuwuma-Eneh JCA (as he then was) unanimously dismissing the appellants’, appeal. The panel of Justices shown on the face of the leading judgment at page 102 of the record as having heard the appeal and delivered the unanimous judgment is made up of S. Galadima JCA, P.O. Aderemi JCA (as he then was), and C.M. Chukwuma-Eneh JCA (as he then was). This appeal number CA/L/108/2001, the judgment in which was delivered by the Hon. Justice Galadima led panel, was one of the consolidated appeals heard and specifically adjourned to 22-1-2004 for judgment by the Hon. Justice Ogebe led panel. The record of this appeal also shows that Hon. Justice Galadima who did not participate in the hearing of appeal No.CA/L/108 with Hon. Justice Ogebe, Aderemi and Chukwuma-Eneh on 5-11-2003, actually wrote and delivered-a concurring judgment to Hon Justice Aderemi’s lead judgment delivered on 22-1-2004. Meanwhile, the record of the appeal does not contain the concurring or dissenting opinion as the case may be of Hon. Justice Ogebe JCA who presided at the hearing of the appellants’ appeal on 5-11 -2003. From these rather glaring undisputed facts in the record of this appeal, the real question to be determined from the first issue arising for determination, is whether or not the judgment of the court below delivered on 22-1-2004, in the circumstances is valid. Learned counsel to the appellants referred to Sections 247(1) and 294(2) of the 1999 Constitution and argued that the combined effect of the sections, is that the panel of Justices of the Court of Appeal that heard an appeal, shall be the same panel that will deliver their opinion in writing as it relates to the judgment of any particular suit; that the absence of the written opinion of Hon. Justice James O. Ogebe in the judgment of the Court of Appeal delivered on 22-1-2004, invalidates the said judgment and makes it a nullity, as the parties were not ‘fairly’ heard because a judge who did not ‘hear’ them made a pronouncement against them resulting in denial of fair hearing enshrined in chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution.

The case of Madukolu & Ors v. Nkemdelim & Ors (1962) 2 SCNLR 34 was relied upon in support of this argument. Learned counsel further referred to a number of cases such as, Queen v. Governor-In-Council W.R. Exparte Laniyan Ojo (1962) 1 All NLR 147; Mai Rai v. Bauchi N.A. (1957) NNLR 31; Nana Tawiah v. Kwesi Ewudzi 3 WACA 52; Otwiwa & Anor v. Kwaseko 3 WACA 230; Chapman v. C.F.A.O. 9 WACA 181; Orugbo v. Una (2002) 16 NWLR (Pt.792) 175 at 199, (2002) 13 SCM 153 and particularly the recent decision of this court in Ubwa v. Tiv Traditional Council (2004) 11 NWLR (Pt. 884) 427, (2004) 5 SCM, 146 which is on essentially similar facts with the present case, and submitted that once an appellate court comes to, the conclusion that there is a breach of the principles of fair hearing, the proceedings cannot be salvaged as they are null and void ab-initio. On the decision of this court in Shuaibu v. Nigerian Arab Bank Ltd (1998) 5 NWLR (Pt.551) 582 heavily relied upon by the learned counsel to the Respondent in the Respondent’s brief of argument, learned counsel observed that that decision is clearly distinguishable with the decision of this court in Ubwa v. Tiv Area Traditional Council (supra) as the facts and circumstances arriving at the decisions in the two cases are not the same. Learned counsel concluded his argument by urging this court to allow the appeal on this issue, set aside the judgment of the court below of 22-1-2004 for having been delivered contrary to the provisions of the Constitution.

For the Respondent however, its learned counsel contended that from the record of this appeal, it is undisputed that three Justices of the Court of Appeal heard the appellants’ appeal on the day the appeal was heard. Equally not in dispute is the fact that on the day the judgment in the appeal was delivered, three Justices of that court sat and delivered the judgment. Learned Counsel maintained that on the face of the record, the provision of the Constitution regarding the quorum of the court below was fully satisfied with three Justices hearing the appeal and three Justices delivering the judgment of the court. Referring to the fact that Hon. Justice Suleiman Galadima who did not participate in the hearing of the appeal but all the same delivered a judgment concurring with the lead judgment, learned respondent’s counsel regarded that as a mere irregularity incapable of nullifying the judgment. Heavy reliance was placed by the learned counsel on the decision of this court which he described as arising from similar facts in Shuaibu v. Nigerian Arab Bank Ltd (1998) 5 NWLR (Pt.551) 582, and urged this court to hold that the appellants having acquiesced to the irregularity in the judgment delivered, which did not occasion any miscarriage of justice, cannot be heard to complain.

This argument according to the learned counsel, is supported by the decisions in cases of Ashiru Noibi v. R.J. Fikolani (1987) 1 NWLR (Pt.52) 619 at 625-626 and Ezomo v. Oyakhire (1985) 1 NWLR (Pt.2) 195 which warn that technicalities will not be allowed to override substantial justice. On the decision of this court in Ubwa v. Tiv Area Traditional Council (supra), learned counsel disagreed with the appellant that the decision is in conflict with the earlier decision in Shuaibu v. Nigerian Arab Bank Ltd (supra) and therefore concluded by urging this court to hold that the mix up in the judgment delivered in the present case by the court below, was only an irregularity which is not enough to nullify the judgment now on appeal. In resolving this issue, let me start by agreeing entirely with the learned counsel to the Respondent that the decision of this court in Ubwa v. Tiv Area Traditional Council (supra) delivered on 21-5-2004 and the earlier decision in Shuaibu v. Nigerian Arab Bank Ltd (supra) delivered earlier on 24-4-1998, which were cited by the learned counsel for the parties in their respective briefs of argument, are not in conflict. The facts and circumstances leading to the two decisions are entirely different. In Shuaibu v. Nigerian Arab Bank, it is quite clear from the record of appeal that the panel of Ndoma Egba, Mukhtar and Okezie JJCA which actually heard the appeal, was the same panel that delivered the judgment that came on appeal to this court. Hon. Justice Adio who did not take part in the hearing of the appeal nor participated in the delivery of the judgment, his judgment was inadvertently included in the record of the appeal which the appellant used in that case in challenging the competence of the judgment on appeal. The decision of this court in that case was that irrespective of how the judgment of Hon. Justice Adio JC A got into the record of appeal, the fact that the same panel that heard the appeal was the same panel that delivered the judgment of the court, the judgment of the Court of Appeal cannot be described as a nullity because what happened in the proceedings of that court was a mere irregularity.

However the situation is entirely different in Ubwa v. Tiv Area Traditional Council (supra) where the panel that heard the appeal comprised Akpabio, Umoren and Chukwuma-Eneh JJCA while the panel that wrote and delivered the judgment was made up of Akpabio JCA who read the leading judgment with Umoren and Mangaji JJCA delivering the concurring judgments. This means that Mangaji JCA (of blessed memory) who did not take part in the hearing of the appeal on 18-11-1999, also wrote a concurring judgment in the appeal which was delivered on, 14-2-2000. This shows that although the court was properly constituted by three Justices on the day the judgment of the court was delivered, the judgment that was delivered was not by the members of the same panel that heard the appeal on 18-11-1999. It was this situation that resulted in the judgment of this court in that appeal declaring the judgment of the Court of Appeal delivered on 14-2-2000, a nullity. Thus, as there is no conflict whatsoever in these decisions relied upon by the learned counsel on both sides in this appeal, the question of which of the two decisions to rely upon depends entirely on the facts arid circumstances in the present case that led to the delivery of the judgment of the court below now on appeal. The status of a judgment given by a court improperly constituted in the sense that the court was differently constituted during the hearing of the case, had been determined in many decisions of superior courts including this court and the West Africa Court of Appeal. In Adeigbe & Anor v. Kusimu & Ors. (1965) 1 All NLR (Reprint) 260 at 263, Ademola CJN (of blessed memory) had this to say on the subject:- “We are in no doubt about the correctness of what the learned appeal judge said in his judgment that there are abundant decisions in the High Court and the West Africa Court of Appeal on the point that where a court is differently constituted during the hearing of a case, or on various occasions when it met, or where one member did not hear the whole evidence, the effect on the proceedings is to render them null and void.

The learned judge obviously had in mind, among others, the following cases Egba N.A. v. Adeyanju (1936) 13NLR 77: Tawiah III v. Ewudzi 3 WACA 52: Otwiwa v. Kwaseko 3 WACA 230 Damoah v. Taibil 12 WACA 167 Runka v. Kastina N.A. 13 WACA 98:” Similarly, the pronouncement of Kingdom, Chief Justice of Nigeria sitting on the bench of the West African Court of Appeal with Betrides, Chief Justice of Gold Coast and Webber, Chief Justice of Sierra Leone, on the subject of judgment delivered by an improperly constituted court is quite illuminating. In his leading judgment in the case of Nana Tawiah III v. Kwasi Ewudzi (1936) WACA 52 at 54-55 the learned Chief Justice said:

“It is unnecessary for me now to go in detail into merits of the case on the facts, owing to the submission which the defendant/appellant/respondent’s counsel made to the court at the last moment when he realized that he had little hope of successfully resisting the plaintiff/respondent/appellants’ contention that the Provincial Commissioner ought not to have reversed the Tribunal on the facts. This was to the effect that the whole proceedings before the Tribunal were a nullity, because all the members who sat upon the case and gave judgment were not present throughout the hearing, xxxxx In the present case it is clear that at least two of the Tribunal members who gave judgment were not present throughout the proceedings, and did not hear all the evidence. This vitiates the whole trial, and in my opinion this court has no option but to declare the whole proceedings before the Tribunal and the Provincial Commissioner’s court a nullity, and direct that the case be heard de novo in the Tribunal”.

Looking at the issue from another angle, the law is well settled that the competence of a court is an essential element in determining its jurisdiction. In Gabriel Madukolu & Ors v. Johnson Nkemdilim & Ors (1962) All NLR 587, the Federal Supreme Court discussed at some length, the issue of competence and held that any defect in competence is fatal and the proceedings are a nullity however well conducted and decided. Proceedings at the hearing of a case of course cover or start from the commencement thereof up to and including the delivery of final judgment. In other words, the delivery of judgment in a cause or matter, is part of the hearing of that cause or matter. See Jeremiah Akoh & Ors v. Ameh Abuh (1988) 3 NWLR (Pt. 85) 696 at 713. In the instant case, to answer the question of whether or not the court below was properly constituted from the date the appellant’s appeal was heard on 5-11-2003, right to the date the judgment of the court was delivered on 22-1-2004, it is necessary to determine from the record whether the proceedings of the court complied with the provisions of Sections 247(1) and 294(2) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution. Section 247(1) says:-

“For the purpose of exercising any jurisdiction conferred upon it by this Constitution or any other law, the Court of Appeal shall be duly constituted if it consists of not less than three Justices of the Court of Appeal .”

There is no doubt whatsoever in the instant case that when the appellants’ appeal was heard by the court below on 5-11-2003 by a panel of Justices of that court made up of Ogebe, Aderemi and Chukwuma-Eneh JJCA, that court was properly constituted for the purpose of exercising the jurisdiction conferred upon it to hear the appellants’ appeal. However, whether the constitution of that court which heard the appellants’ appeal was maintained throughout the hearing of the appeal up to the date of the delivery of the judgment on 22-1-2004, is what the record of this appeal answered in the negative. This of course is quite contrary to the provisions of Section 294(1), (2), (3) and (4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 which state as follows:

“294 (1) Every court established under this Constitution shall deliver its decision in writing not later than ninety days after the conclusion of evidence and final address and furnish all parties to the cause or matter determined with duly authenticated copies of the decision within seven days of the delivery thereof. (2) Each Justice of the Supreme Court or of the Court of Appeal shall express and deliver his opinion in writing, or may state in writing that he adopts the opinion of any other justice who delivers a written judgment: Provided that it shall not be necessary for all the Justices who heard a cause or matter to be present when judgment is to be delivered and the opinion of a Justice may be pronounced or read by another Justice whether or not he was present at the hearing. (3) A decision of a court consisting of more than one judge shall be determined by the opinion of the majority of its members. (4) For the purpose of delivering its decision under this section, the Supreme Court, or the Court of Appeal shall be deemed to be duly constituted if at least one member of that court sits for that purpose.”

In compliance with the above provisions of section 294 of the 1999 Constitution, each of the Justices of the court below who heard the appellants’ appeal, ought to have reduced his judgment or opinion in writing for delivery in person or by any of the other Justices of the Court on the date fixed for the delivery of the judgment. This is because although a Justice of the Court who did not take part in the hearing of an appeal may lawfully sit on a panel of the court and participate in delivering a judgment or written opinion of another Justice who actually took part in the hearing of the appeal or matter but is unavoidably absent, I must stress however that for such judgment delivered to be valid, it must have been put in writing for delivery by all the members of the panel of the Justices that participated at the hearing of the appeal which in law culminates in the determination of the cause or matter by the delivery of the judgment. Failure to comply with these fundamental requirements of the Constitution and the law as expounded in the various decisions of our courts, renders the judgment nullity. I am bound by the recent decision of this court in Ubwa v. Tiv Traditional Council and Others (2004) 11 NWLR (Pt.884) 427 at 436 where Kutigi JSC (as he then was) faced with similar proceedings of the Court of Appeal Jos as in the present appeal, declared the proceedings a nullity in allowing the appeal. That case is on all fours with the instant appeal now under consideration in which I have no option but to declare the judgment of.the Court below delivered by the panel of Justices comprising of Galadima, Aderemi and Chukwuma-Eneh JJCA on 22-1-2004, also a nullity. I have two reasons for coming to this conclusion. Firstly, the judgment is not a complete judgment of the Court of Appeal because one of the Justices who heard the appeal had not reduced his judgment or opinion in writing capable of being delivered on the day fixed for the delivery as required by sub-section (2) of section 294 of the 1999 Constitution which makes it necessary for the judgments or opinions of the three Justices who heard the appeal to be produced in writing before a complete judgment of the court could validly emerge. Secondly, the judgment of the court of 22-1-2004, was affected by another deadly virus which destroyed it resulting in turning it into something else other than a judgment of the Court of Appeal. The judgment delivered by Galadima JCA who did not sit with the panel of the Justices that heard the parties in this appeal on the date fixed for the hearing of the appeal, certainly affected the competence of the court in the proceedings conducted in the delivery of the judgment which in law is part and parcel of the proceedings in the hearing and determination of the appellants’ appeal. This is because an improperly constituted court as regards its members, such that no member is disqualified for one reason or another, is not capable in law of exercising the jurisdiction of the court in delivering a valid judgment.

The reason of course is that any defect in competence is fatal as the proceedings are a nullity however well conducted and decided. See Madukolu & Ors v. Nkemdelim & Ors (supra). Obviously, a judicial officer, who had not sat in court in that capacity to exercise the jurisdiction of the court in hearing a cause or matter, cannot have the capacity in law to sit in court and write a judgment or opinion to determine a, dispute which he did not participate in the hearing. For this reason, this issue is resolved in favour of the appellant in that the judgment of the court below delivered on 22-1-200 is hereby declared a nullity. The judgment is set aside and the appellants’ consolidated appeals numbers CA/L/108/20011, CA/L/109/2001 and CA/L/110/2001, heard by the court below on 5-11-2003, are hereby remitted to the court below for hearing de novo by another panel of Justices of the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal. The appeal is accordingly hereby allowed. The appeal having succeeded on the first issue for determination alone, and having regard to the orders I have made remitting the consolidated appeals to the lower court for hearing, I do not find it necessary to go into the remaining issues. There shall be N10,000.00 costs to the appellants against the respondent.

SC. 74/2004