A Kano State High Court on Wednesday, reserved ruling in a suit filed by the National Union of Local Government Employees(NULGE) against the Central Bank of Nigeria and others from withholding Kano Local Government allocations.
The applicant’s are Chairman of NULGE, Ibrahim Muhd, Ibrahim Uba Shehu, Ibrahim Shehu Abubakar, Usman Isa, Sarki Alhaji Kurawa and Malam Usman Imam.
The applicant’s through their counsel Mr Bashir Yusuf-Muhammad, filed a motion exparte dated Nov.1, seeking the court to restrain the respondents from withholding or delaying allocations essential for local governance in the State.
The respondents are :the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission,(RMAFC) , the 44 Kano Local Government’s, UBA, Access and six other commercial banks.
When the case came up for hearing, Yusuf-Muhammad, filed a reply to the notice of preliminary objection dated Nov.20.
“The application is attached with four paragraph affidavit and a written address dated Nov.3.
“We filed 11 paragraph of better and further affidavit dated Nov.20 and one exhibit”
Yusuf-Muhammad urged the court to discountenance the respondents counter affidavit and grant the applicants reliefs.
Counsel to the 44 Local Governments , Mr Eyitayo Fatogun, SAN, did not oppose the plaintiff’s application, adding that the disbursement of LG allocations should not be truncated.
Responding, Counsel to CBN, Mr Ganiyu Ajape, filed notice of preliminary objection dated Nov.14, 2024 pursuant to order 8 rules (1)(2) of the fundamental rights.
“We filed our reaction and six paragraph counter affidavit dated and filed Nov.14”
He urged the court to strike out the name of CBN in the suit for lacking jurisdiction to entertain the matter and not to grant the applicants relief.
Counsel to Guarantee Trust Bank,49th respondent, Mr Faruk Asekome, filed their counter affidavit dated Nov.18, on the applicant originating motion attached with a written address.
Asekome urged the court to strike out his client’s name with a substantial cost.
“My lord, there is no reasonable cause of action disclosed against GT Bank. We don’t have any say in the disbursement of Local government allocations.
Justice Ibrahim Musa-Muhammad, adjourned the matter for ruling in the notice of preliminary objection and the substantive matter, to a date that would be communicated to parties.
NAN reports that the court had on Nov.6, restrained the CBN, AGF and others from withholding Kano State 44 Local Government allocations.(NAN)