A Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday blocked Ekocorp Plc and Goff Ohen Limited from holding any board meeting either by themselves or their agents pending the hearing and determination of the suit filed by Sunday Kuku.
Dr Kuku is the sole surviving founding member and a director of Ekocorp which owns Eko Hospital in Ikeja, Lagos.
The hospital was established in 1982 by three medical doctors, Alexander Eneli, Kuku, and Augustine Obiora. The trio merged the first letter of their surnames to form the hospital’s name, EKO. The hospital has grown into a private teaching hospital expanding from Ikeja to Surulere and beyond.
The hospital became a public liability company in 1991.
Court papers show the founding directors are locked in an ownership battle with Geoffrey Ohen, a shareholder in the company. The legal tussle has been on since 2014.
However, on Thursday, Justice Peter Lifu issued the order of restraint sequel to an interlocutory injunction filed and argued by Kuku’s counsel Tobe Nnamani.
The first to eighth defendants in the suit are Ekocorp Plc, Goff Ohen Limited; Dr. Goff Ohen; Prof Joseph. Irukwu; Pastor Olurotimi Nathaniel; Olusegun Olusanya; Dr. George Okpagu and Joyce Modilim.
The judge, in granting the order, said he was not unmindful the running of the hospital’s affairs, adding that the management is to do that during the pendency of this suit.
Justice Lifu further held that for the balance of convenience, Kuku is to give an undertaking as to damages in court “should it turn out that this order ought not to have been made.”
He ordered that the case would be given an accelerated hearing and adjourned till December 6, 2021 for hearing.
