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By: Sunday Ejike – Abuja
The National Industrial Court of Nigeria has slated April 4, 2023 for the Head of Service, Director General, Budget Office of the Federation, Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Attorney-General of the Federation and the Accountant-General of the Federation to open defence in a suit bordering on alleged corrupt practices filed against them.
A senior staff of the Budget Office of the Federation, Mrs Bilkisu Okene Sannusi had, in a suit, accused the defendants of allegedly withholding her salaries and entitlement unlawfully for daring to expose alleged corrupt practice being perpetuated in the Budget office of the Federation.
Mrs Sannusi, who is the claimant in the suit marked, NICN/ABJ/ 96/22, who was led in evidence by her counsel, Martin Opara and cross-examined by Mrs M. D Agada, counsel to the 2nd and 3rd Defendants and Aliyu Abdulkadir, representing the Attorney General of the Federation, closed her case and the trial Judge, Justice Oyebiola Oyewumi adjourned till April 4, for the defendants to open their defense in the matter.
The claimant had alleged that her salaries and other entitlements were stopped when she discovered corrupt practices by some staff of the defendants, noting that, the issue led to the removal of her name from payments vouchers and other efforts to frustrate her. She alleged 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.
She 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 illegal, unlawful and a gross abuse of governmental powers as such, null and void and of no effect.
She also seeks an order of court compelling the Defendants to pay 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, amounting to N214, 250, 000 only withheld by the Defendants illegally and unlawfully.
The claimant also wants the court to compel the 2nd Defendant to forthwith release her Secret and Open File to enable her proceed with the processing of her retirement and that, the court should award the sum of N500 million only as exemplary damages in her favour against the Defendants and another N50 million for the inconveniences which the defendants made her suffer.
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