Group of retired Bauchi State High Court Judges and Khadis have filed a suit before National Industrial Court sitting in Bauchi against the state government over non-payment of their entitlements several years after retirement.
Counsel to the Plaintiffs, Isah Mohammed, stated this while briefing newsmen on Tuesday at Industrial court, Bauchi state.
He said: “It is true we have filed a suit against the Bauchi State Commissioners of Justice, Finance and State Accountant General.
“We are asking them to pay the entitlements of our clients to the tune of N166, 455, 208 as calculated.
“We also asked the court to order the defendants to pay the plaintiffs N10, 000, 000 as general damages and N2 million for legal services incurred.”
Mr Isa said the plaintiffs are aggrieved by the actions and inactions of the defendants because they were not paid their entitlements several years after they retired from service.
According to him, some of the retired judicial workers have died while waiting to be paid their entitlements.
He said: “The plaintiffs, who were engaged by the defendants at various times, worked diligently and rose to the coveted positions of Judges and Khadis in the state service, but the government of Bauchi state which is responsible for their appointment and payment of their retirement benefits and other entitlement, has failed or refused,” he noted.
Mr Isa added that his client, being respected judicial officers of repute, did not deem it fit to engage the government on rancour basis to press home their demands, saying that the retired officers “ had lobbied and made appropriate demands whenever a good and respectable opportunity of doing so arose.
“Remember that the plaintiffs have families and responsibilities and the society is viewing them with the utmost respect. Lack of concern on their plight is pushing them to press home their demands through this unsavoury but only means, especially having been bedevilled by ailments consequence of long service years,” he noted.
Mr Isa, however, said that the date for hearing on the suit which was filed since June 2018, is yet to be fixed.
Source: Daily Nigerian
