Governors’ legal battle against $418m Paris Club deductions postponed

The much-publicized authorized fireworks by the 36 state governors towards the Federal Authorities’s bid to deduct $418 million from their states’ financial institution accounts slated for Tuesday has been delay.

The authorized battle was on November 5 mounted for at this time, November 30, by Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo of the Federal Excessive Court docket in Abuja shortly after restraining the Federal Authorities from continuing with the deductions.

Nevertheless, when our correspondent arrived within the courtroom, a particular announcement by one of many court docket registrars was made to the impact that the trial Choose wouldn’t sit at this time as deliberate.

A retinue of legal professionals, primarily Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), engaged for the authorized fireworks for and towards the fund deductions to pay contractors had been requested to choose a handy date amongst themselves for the go well with.

They settled for December 7 after consultations and sizzling arguments that lasted twenty minutes.

DAILY POST famous that whereas the Federal Authorities prefers an earlier date for the matter to be thrashed out, the governors’ camp appeared comfy with the shift within the listening to date.

Our correspondent noticed that the governors’ stance may not be unconnected with the subsisting November 5 order of Justice Ekwo which restrained the Federal Authorities and its brokers from going forward to deduct the cash till the go well with is totally resolved.

The restraining order was granted in favour of the governors and towards the Federal Authorities following an ex parte utility argued by counsel to the 36 states by Jibrin Otukepa and Ahmed Raji each Senior Advocates of Nigeria

Defendants within the go well with are the Legal professional Normal of the Federation (AGF), Finance Minister, Accountant Normal of the Federation and all banks in Nigeria amongst others.