By Yemi Oyeyemi, Abuja
A United Kingdom Court has ordered a former Presidential aspirant of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Gbenga Joel Olawepo-Hashim to pay his divorced wife, Funmi Rebecca Olawepo-Hashim a sum of fifteen million pounds (€15).
The order of the court followed the successful resolution of a divorce suit instituted by the former wife against the APC’S ex-presidential aspirant.
Deputy District Judge Fox Sat at the Family Court at Central Family Court, First Avenue House, 42-49 High Holborn, London, WC1V 6NP gave the verdict.
The judgment was entered against Olawepo-Hashim following his refusal to appear in court or engage legal practitioner to represent him inspite of been served with papers in the divorce suit.
A copy of the court judgment obtained by our correspondent in Abuja indicated that the respondent shall pay to the ex-wife periodical payments for benefit of the children of the Family.
Payments shall be at the rate of £18,000 per annum per child, payable monthly in arrears by standing order.
The court order read in part “After hearing counsel, Mr J .Nosworthy for the applicant and the respondent failing to appear nor being represented.
“After consideration of the bundles and the preliminary documents filed by Mr Nosworthy, after hearing evidence from the Applicant and submissions.
“The “Children of the Family” shall mean …and … born on ….
“The “Companies” shall mean Transnational Energy Ltd and Bresson A.S. Nigeria Ltd registered in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The court was satisfied that the respondent had been served with notice of this hearing and all documentation relating to these proceedings and has chosen not to attend nor to be represented.
“The court was satisfied that the respondent has failed to comply with court orders and the Family Procedure Rules and has failed to file his Form E or any of the statements as ordered by the court.
“Nothing in this order is intended to prevent or affect in any way the applicant’s right to pursue before the Courts of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, proceedings for relief relating to her involvement with the Companies (as a shareholder, director or otherwise).
“There are substantial arrears in respect of the Interim Order. The Interim Order has been registered in a Court in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Nothing in this order is intended to prevent or affect in any way the applicant’s right to enforce the terms of the Interim Order.
“The respondent shall pay the applicant by 4pm on 8 July 2022 a lump sum of £15,000,000 (£15 million Sterling).
“If the respondent fails to pay all or any part of this lump sum by 4pm on 8 July 2022 simple interest shall accrue on the remaining balance of the lump sum at the rate applicable for the time being to a High Court judgment debt (currently 8%).
“The respondent shall pay to the applicant periodical payments for benefit of the Children of the Family.
“Payments shall be at the rate of £18,000 per annum per child, payable monthly in arrears by standing order. Payments shall start on the first day of the month following the payment in full of the lump sum provided for in (8) above (together with any interest), and shall end on:
a. each child respectively attaining the age of 18 years or ceasing their full-time tertiary education (limited to 1st degree), whichever shall be the later; or b. a further order.
“The court may (prior to the expiry of the term or subsequently) order a longer period of payment.
“The periodical payments set out in paragraph above shall be varied automatically on the “variationdate”, which shall be on the date of the payment due in June 2023 and at yearly intervals afterwards.
“The change in the payments shall be the percentage change, if any, between the UK consumer prices index during the most recent 12-month period preceding the variation date for which index data has been published.
“The respondent shall pay the applicant a further lump sum of £325,000 by 4pm 8 July 2022. This sum shall be applied towards the cost of meeting the school fees (including extras) and university / further education costs for the Children of Family at such school, university or college as they may from time-to-time attend.
“Following the payment of the said lump sum the applicant shall be responsible for paying all such fees and expenses.
“All payments provided for in this order (save for child maintenance paid pursuant to paragraph 10 above) shall be made by the respondent through a firm of Solicitors appointed by him in the jurisdiction of England and Wales regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority acting as his agents to the applicant’s solicitors Harrison Clarke Rickerbys Solicitors acting as her agents.
“The applicant has permission to disclose a certified copy of this order and the Judgment of Deputy District Judge Fox to any individual, court or government agency either in the jurisdiction of England and Wales or anywhere else in the world for the purposes of seeking to enforce the terms of this order and / or the Interim Order.
The respondent shall pay to the applicant all arrears due to her in respect of the Interim Order.
“The respondent’s obligations to make future payments pursuant to paragraphs 8 and 9 of the Interim Order shall cease upon the making of this order. (However, and for the avoidance of any doubt this does not affect the respondent’s liability incurred to date in respect of the terms of the Interim Order.)
“The applicant is released from the undertaking given by her and recorded in the Interim Order.
“Until such time as the lump sum provided for in paragraph 8 is paid in full (together with any interest),paragraph 6 and 7 of the Interim Order shall remain in force. (For the avoidance of doubt this means that the respondent shall pay the applicant global maintenance in the sum of £7,500 on the 5th of each month.)
“In the event that the applicant recovers the arrears due to her pursuant to the Interim Order through enforcement proceeding in the jurisdiction of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or elsewhere, the amount recovered shall be deducted from the lump sum payment of the respondent pursuant to paragraph 8 above.
Clean break provisions.
“Upon payment in full of the sums due pursuant to paragraphs 8, 9, 12, 15 and 21 the applicant’s claims for periodical payments orders, secured periodical payments orders, lump sum orders, property adjustment orders, pension sharing orders and pension attachment orders shall be dismissed, and the applicant shall not be entitled to make any further application in relation to the marriage for an order under the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 section 23(1)(a) or (b) and she shall not be entitled on the on the respondent’s death to apply for an order under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, section 2.
“The respondent’s claims for periodical payments orders, secured periodical payments orders, lump sum orders, property adjustment orders, pension sharing orders and pension attachment orders shall be dismissed, and the respondent shall not be entitled to make any further application in relation to the marriage for an order under the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 section 23(1)(a) or (b) and he shall not be entitled on the on the applicant’s death to apply for an order under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, section 2.
Costs
“The respondent shall pay the applicant’s costs of these proceedings assessed in the sum of £232,000.”