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The National Industrial Court of Nigeria on Monday, slated December 7 and 8 for a definite hearing in a suit filed against the Accountant General of the Federation, Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning over alleged corrupt practices in the Budget office of the Federation.
A senior staff of the Budget Office of the Federation, Mrs Bilkisu Okenne Sannusi had, in the suit filed before the Industrial Court, alleged abuse of governmental powers to illegally and unlawfully withhold her salaries and entitlement for daring to expose corrupt practice being perpetuated in the Budget office of the Federation.
Joined in the suit marked, NICN/ABJ/ 96/22 as defendants are, The Head of Service of the Federation (HoS), Director-General, Budget Office of the Federation, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, the Attorney General of the Federation and Accountant General of the Federation.
When the matter was called on Monday, the Director, Legal, in the Budget Office, Mrs M. D Agada, representing the 2nd and 3rd Defendants and Aliyu Abdulkadir, representing the Attorney General of the Federation (4th Defendant) told the court that they have filed a memorandum of appearance and their responses to the originating summons of the claimant.
But, the trial Judge, Justice Oyebiola Oyewumi observed that the memorandum of appearance of the 4th defendant was without a stamp as required by law and ordered parties to file and serve all necessary papers before December 7 and 8, slated for definite hearing on the case.
The claimant had, in her statements of fact alleged that she discovered monumental corrupt practices by some staff of the Ministry of Finance (3rd Defendant) in the office of the Director General, Budget Office of the Federation (2nd Defendant).
The corrupt practice, she said bothers on manipulation of budget proposals by MDAs, which she reported to the Director General and added that she escalated the matter to the Head of Service of the Federation (1st Defendant) and the Ministry of Finance (3rd Defendant) who also decided to sail in the same boat with the 2nd Defendant.
According to the claimant, the issue led to the removal of her name from payments vouchers and other efforts to frustrate her, alleging further that the 2nd Defendant also, without any justification caused her Secret and Open Files domiciled with the Budget Office of the Federation Registry to be removed and kept in an unknown place to frustrate her from proceeding on her retirement.
The claimant has also alleged in her statement that the 2nd Defendant, in a bid to frustrate her, instructed his allies in the finance department to withhold and deny her due financial and maternal benefits and rights incidental to her employment and office in the Budget Office of the Federation.
The claimant wants the court to declare that the termination of her salaries and entitlements from the 26th November 2021 till date by the 1st, 2nd 3rd and 5th Defendant is an illegal, unlawful and gross abuse of governmental powers as such null and void and of no effect.
“That, with-holding of the Claimant’s Secret and Open Files and fringe benefits, bonuses and Christmas, Easter and Sallah gifts and all other benefits howsoever called incidental to her position as a staff of the Budget Office of the Federation by the 2nd Defendant is an illegal, unlawful and gross abuse of governmental powers as such, null and void and of no effect.
“That the 1st Defendant lacks the power to impose punishment or suspension of salary on the Claimant safe as stipulated by the Public Service Rule which Rule must be adhered to as expressly stipulated as doing otherwise amounts to a nullity.”
She also seeks an order of the court “Compelling the defendants to pay the claimant all her salaries, entitlements, fringe benefits, bonuses and all benefits however called incidental to her position as a staff of the budget office of the Federation withheld by the defendants illegally and unlawfully amounting to N2, 214, 250 only.
“An order, compelling the 2nd defendant to forthwith release the claimant’s secret and open file to enable her to proceed with the processing of her retirement” and payment of the sum of N50 million only as exemplary damages in her favour against the defendants.
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