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Suspension: Sanusi Lamido Loses; Court Decline Jurisdiction In Suit Against Jonathan

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A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has declined Jurisdiction on a suit filed by the Suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi essentially challenging his suspension by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan on February 20, 2014.

In a Ruling spanning over 2 hours, Honourable 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, Learned Counsel to the President, Dr. Fabian Ajogwu, SAN argued that the Federal High Court lacks Jurisdiction to entertain the suit between Mallam Sanusi and the President since it bothers 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, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN had in the hearing of the matter urged the Honourable Judge to wash his hands off the case as the Court lacked Jurisdiction to entertain the suit.

Upholding the submission of Learned Counsel to the Defendants, the Honourable Court declined Jurisdiction and accordingly referred the matter to the National Industrial Court. The Learned Judge 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 Inspector General of Police sued as 3rd Defendant holding that there was no cause of action against the Inspector General.

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