SAN FRANCISCO, May 20, (THEWILL) – A suit filed by the suspending Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Lamido Sanusi, challenging his suspension from office by President Goodluck Jonathan has been struck down by trial judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court Abuja.
Justice Kolawole in his ruling on the matter Tuesday dismissed the suit, saying the court has no jurisdiction over the matter.
In a ruling spanning over 2 hours, Justice Kolawole upheld the submissions of the Counsel to the President, Dr. Fabian Ajogwu, SAN and that of the Counsel to the Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN.
In his preliminary objection filed in opposition to the plaintiff’s originating summons, the counsel to the President had argued that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit since it bothered on Labour matters.
Accordingly, he had urged the court to decline jurisdiction on it. Towing the same vein, the Counsel to the Attorney-General of the Federation sued as the 2nd Defendant, had in the hearing of the matter urged the Judge to trash the suit as the Court lacked jurisdiction over it.
Upholding the submissions of the counsels, the court declined Jurisdiction and accordingly referred the matter to the National Industrial Court.
Justice Kolawole in the course of delivering the ruling faulted the submissions of Counsel to Mallam Sanusi, Mr. Kola Awodein, SAN and Mr AB Mahmoud SAN who in their pleadings had said that Mallam Sanusi was not an employee of the Federal Government but that of the Board of the Central Bank of Nigeria, which he incidentally headed.
Upholding the arguments of the counsel to the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Umoh SAN, the Court also struck out the name of the IGP sued as 3rd Defendant holding that there was no cause of action against the IG.
