By Tobi Soniyi in Abuja
The Supreme Court has advised the children of late legal luminary, Chief F.R.A. Williams, to settle among themselves the dispute over how to share their father’s estate.
Last Thursday, the appeal filed by Williams’ eldest son, Chief Oladipupo Williams, SAN, came up for hearing at the Supreme Court. But hope that the apex court would hear the appeal and deliver judgment quickly faded away as the justices of the court constituted to hear the appeal said they would not hear it.
Rather, they mandated the warring Williams’ children to work out a solution to the dispute among themselves.
Justice Sylvester Ngwuta who presided at the hearing told them that the court would not hear the appeal.
Justice Ngwuta said: “The only thing we want to hear from you is the report of settlement.”
He adjourned the appeal to November 7th, 2016 for the Williams’ children to come and tell the court the agreement reached by them to resolve the decade long dispute.
Before adjourning the matter, the justices forced Ladi, the eldest son to embrace one of his younger brothers, Tokunbo Williams, SAN, who was the fourth respondent and was in court to defend the appeal.
The justices advised them to involve all other parties so that they would be able to reach a solution that included everyone.
In order to make sure that everyone was carried along in the negotiation to arrive at an out-of-court settlement, Ladi applied to the court to make order to compel the remaining two children to come to court at the next adjourned date. The court agreed and made an order directing all the Williams’ children to come to the court on November 7th, 2016.
The justices were unhappy that despite the huge investment Williams made on his children, they had chosen to pay him back with avoidable quarrels over the estate he worked hard to leave behind.
In the appeal, Ladi Williams and Chief Kayode Williams are the appellants while Folarin Williams and Tokunbo Williams were the respondents. Four of them were born by the same parents.
Further details later