Court threatens to arrest Kogi HOS, others over sacked staff

Category: News Published on Monday, 11 February 2013 05:00 Written by Usman A. Bello,Lokoja

An Okene High Court has threatened to issue warrant of arrest on the Kogi State Head of Service, Accountant- General and the Attorney- General of the state over their refusal to comply with an order to reinstate 346 civil servants illegally sacked in the state.

The court had on May 14th, 2012, ordered that the Kogi State government should immediately reinstate 346 civil servants, who were illegally sacked in 2009 by the Sally Titbot screening committee. The court held that the affected workers had genuine documents of employment and were legally employed by the state government, and that there was no time the state government gave the affected staff sack letters to indicate their disengagement from service.

But the state government, up till now, is yet to reinstate the sacked staff.

The court, sometimes last year summoned the state officials to appear before it to give explanation on why its order was not complied with.

At the resumed hearing on Friday, neither the Attorney General, Head of Service nor the Accountant General (Who were earlier summoned by the court) was physically present in the court.

Counsel to the defendants , Barrister Jerry Bayo, told the court that the Accountant General was ill, while the two others were attending important state matters. But counsel to the applicants ,John Bara, urged the court to issue a warrant of arrest against the defendants, saying the court was a creation of the constitution and that nobody was greater than the law.

The defence counsel pleaded with the court to give his clients one more opportunity of which he would personally ensure that the three officials appear in court.

In his ruling, Justice S. O. Otu said the disposition of the court over the matter should not be considered as weak.

He said the court will accede to the plea of the defence counsel for the last time and threatened to issue warrant of arrest on the defaulting parties if they refuse to appear before the court at the next sitting

He then adjoined the case to March 1, 2013.