26th April, 2022
By Glory Abuh-Adejoh
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), on Tuesday before the National Industrial Court, contested the court’s order to pay 110 disengaged staff of the Ahmadu Bello University ( ABU), Zaria, that were sacked in 1996 their entitlements.
Joined in the suit as respondents are the 110 disengaged staff, ABU, Zaria, the Minister, Federal Ministry of Education and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, as first, second, third and fourth respondents respectively.
When the matter was called before Justice Rakiya Hasstrup, counsel to CBN, Matthias Agboni informed the court that he had an application for stay of execution before the court.
He, however, proceeded to withdraw an earlier motion dated and filed on March 8 and replaced with another of April 14.
Mr Femi Adedeji, counsel to the first respondent on his part informed the court that he was not opposing the withdrawal.
Adedeji, however, stated that he was opposing the written address that accompanied the new application.
Also, Mr Kashim Idi, counsel to the third respondent equally did not oppose Agboni’s application for withdrawal.
He further said that he had not filed any process because he had just been served processes by Adedeji.
The judge, therefore, said that the CBN’s application dated March 8 was duly struck out.
She directed Adedeji to respond to the new application he was opposing and serve parties.
Adedeji, however, objected and said that the appellant was trying to delay the proceeding by frustrating and wasting the time of the court
In addition, he said he was ready to respond to the appellant’s application on Point of Law
Agboni then proceeded to take his application dated and filed on April 14 brought pursuant to order 64, rules 8 and 13 of the NICN Civil Procedure of 2017.
The applications prayed for three orders of the court.
The first prayer was for an order of stay of execution of the earlier judgment of the court delivered on Jan. 27, spending the hearing and determination of the appeal.