A federal high court in Abuja has refused an application seeking to freeze the accounts of the Edo state government.
Delivering the ruling on Thursday, Okon Abang, the presiding judge, dismissed the suit filed by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), on behalf of its members in Edo state.
JUSUN asked the court to freeze the accounts domiciled in nine banks over the state government’s refusal to obey a court order to pay seven months salary arrears owed to its members since 2014.
In his ruling, the judge described the application as “vague and empty”.
Advertisement
He said the 2014 judgment of the court that gave rise to the union’s application did not state the specific amount to be paid by the Edo state government.
He said the applicants failed to calculate and state the specific amount owed by the state government in support of their affidavits.
Abang also said the application is ill-motivated and was filed in bad faith having been brought up one month before the governorship election in the state.
Advertisement
“At this critical period in the life of the Edo state government, this application may reasonably be interpreted to have an ulterior motive,” he said
“Why did JUSUN wait till August 2020 during the period of annual vacation to bring an application of this nature?
“The reason offered by JUSUN for bringing this application during 2020 annual vacation of the court is because of the forthcoming election in Edo state and the purported claim of controversy being generated by two leading political parties in Edo state and also the threat to order the closure of all bank accounts of Edo state by a faction of the Edo state house of assembly.
“These are not good and substantial reasons that application of this nature which is vague and empty to be filed during annual vacation, a month before the election to cripple the activities of the government.
Advertisement
“I hold a view that the application was filed in indecent haste and certainly filed in bad faith.”
Add a comment
