Sanusi’s Bid To Reverse Suspension As CBN Governor Suffers Set Back At Industrial Court

The quest of suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi to have his suspension as Governor of the CBN reversed suffered a major setback as the Honourable Justice Adejumo of the National Industrial Court, faced with an application from both sides for a stay of proceedings at his court, adjourned the suit to June 13, 2014 for arguments on the application for stay of proceedings.

It will be recalled that as a reaction to the Judgment of Honourable Justice Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja essentially stating that Sanusi was an employee of the FG and declining Jurisdiction to hear Mallam Sanusi’s suit, parties to the suit have filed various Notices of Appeal to challenge the Judgment on various grounds. The President and the Attorney-General of the Federation respectively through their Counsel, Dr Fabian Ajogwu, SAN and Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN filed Notices of Appeal insisting that since the Judge had rightly declined jurisdiction, the proper order the Court ought to have made was to strike out the matter completely, and not transfer it to the National Industrial Court. Mallam Sanusi’s however filed a Notice of Appeal predicated on different grounds.

Mallam Sanusi’s Counsel, Mr. Kola Awodein, SAN essentially disagrees with the judgment on the ground that Sanusi is not an employee of the FG and that the Federal High Court has jurisdiction to hear the matter and not the National Industrial Court.

On Friday, May 30, 2014 when the matter came up for hearing at the NIC, Counsel on both sides respectively informed the Court that they have appealed different aspects of the Judgment of the Federal High Court and have all also filed applications for stay of proceedings at the National Industrial Court pending the determination of the appeal at the Court of Appeal. The Court subsequently adjourned the matter toFriday, June 13, 2014 for hearing of the Motions for Stay of Proceedings filed separately by all the parties. Mallam Sanusi’s tenure expiring on June 2, 2014.