Justice Iyang Ekwo of the Federal Excessive court docket Abuja division has dismissed an utility by the lawyer generals of the 36 states of the federation looking for an order to completely restrain the Federal Authorities from deducting monies accruing to the state over the $418 million Paris Membership refund.
The decide made the order on Friday. He held that the case by the plaintiffs lacked benefit.
On February 15, counsels within the matter had adopted their closing written addresses and right now was slated for judgement.
The judgement
Justice Ekwo famous that the structure doesn’t prohibit deduction based mostly on contracts entered into by the NGF on behalf of their states; it merely bars “arbitrary deduction.”
“It’s on that foundation that this court docket can not evaluate judgement given by a coordinate or increased court docket. I dismiss the case for being an abuse of the court docket course of.
“I discover that the plaintiffs haven’t any locus standi to deliver this motion and I, so maintain,” the decide dominated.
The decide stated the plaintiff wanted to not institute this case within the method they’d performed however to sue the governors in addition to file a go well with praying for the judgment debt to be put aside.
Backstory
In 2016, the federal authorities paid $12 billion to get an $18 billion debt write-off by the Paris Membership of worldwide collectors.
The FG sought to deduct the Paris membership refund from the accounts of the 36 state governments.
On October 27, 2021, the 36 state governments instituted a go well with in opposition to the AGF, the ministry of finance, the Central Financial institution of Nigeria and others looking for to restrain them from deducting monies accruing to them over the $418 million Paris membership refund.
The decide stated the plaintiffs ought to have filed a go well with praying for the judgment debt to be put aside.
What it is best to know
In an ex-parte movement moved by Jibrin Okutekpa (SAN) Counsel to the 36 state governments, the state governments sought an interim injunction, restraining the federal authorities from deducting monies accruing to them over the $418 million Paris membership refund.
Whereas the 36 states attorney-generals are the plaintiffs within the go well with, the defendants are 43 in quantity.
