Rabiu Omaku
The FCT High Court sitting in Abuja has lifted the garnishee order placed on the account of the Nasarawa State Government by setting aside the judgment of National Industrial Court of Nigeria in Benue State which ruled in favour of 600 retirees under the aegis of Concerned pensioners and as well ordered for the defreezing of the State Government accounts
The presiding Judge, Justice Suleiman Belgore in his judgment which lasted for two hours said the matter on ground filed on 2/7/2020 was not registerable.
Justice Belgore urged the two parties to imbibe the spirit of civilization, He said the complainant counsel,S.O Okpale presented a distorted fact stating that the leadership of the concerned are not inaugurated as members of the disbursement committee.
Suleiman Belgore said the augment of Okpale that Patrick Ogah and Musa Obakpa as chairmen of the two warring groups, Ibrahim Musa as Secretary, Timothy Maji,Alaku Wilberforce contained in an exhibit MOJ 2,3,5.
He said Patrick Ogah attended the inaugural meeting of the disbursement committee set up in June 2020 as was contain in exhibit MOJ 2,5,6 as well known disclosure of material fact.
The applicant counsel,S.O.Okpale commended the presiding Judge for the Judgement as well said he would challenge the outcome of the Judgement in appeal court.
The State Commissioner of Justice,Barrister Abdulkarim Abubakar Kana thanked the presiding Judge,Justice Suleiman Belgore for his maturity in handling such case.
He advised counsel to the Concerned retirrees to do the neesful by considering the plight of the people but not misleading their clients.
Kana in an interview shortly after the Judgement expressed satisfaction over the outcome of the matter,saying the defreezing of the State accounts commences with immediate effect with all formalities concluded.
The applicant’s legal team comprises S.O.Okpale,the lead counsel, A.O Odonyi,A.O.Atubu, A.M.Owuna while the defense counsel comprises of the State Commissioner of Justice,Abdulkarim Kana, Dr.M.T Adelakun,Sharif Mohammed,Abu Samson, Raymond Umaru, and M.Z Dikko.
Other counsels in court are John O for the first garnishee which is Zenith bank
Bar.M.A Idu second garnishee for Fidelity bank, Taiwo Ajagbe , third garnishee for First City Monument Bank (FCMB).
Others are Bar.Abdulrazak Alfa fourth garnishee for United Bank for Africa (UBA), Joseph Agbo as the fifth garnishee for Union bank,Nkechi Udeze as counsel for Eko bank.
Counsel for Stanbic IBTC bank is Confidence Fimie as the seventh garnishee,Akogu Egina as 11 garnishees of Sterling bank, A.R.Ajibade representing Polaris.C.M Maduka 15th garnishee for Keystone bank.
U H Usman , fifteen garnishees representing First bank,Chemiezi Emeka representing Unity bank,Koeiuiyi Arinze representing Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB) while Sunday Adegbo 16 garnishee represent the apex bank, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).