A federal high court sitting in Abuja, Monday refused to grant an injunctive order against the federal government over the bid to deduct 418 million dollars from the allocations of the 36 states to fund their contractual obligations in the Paris club refund.
Ruling on the matter Monday, the presiding judge, Inyang Ekwo, declined to grant the injunctive order request made by the 36 state governors.
The governor’s had asked the court to stop the federal government from proceeding to continue further deductions from their money from the federation account.
The governors prayed through their counsel, Sunday Ibrahim Ameh, who moved a motion at proceedings, asking the Federal High Court to grant an injunctive order against the federal government so as not to proceed with deduction of their 418 million dollars.
They argued that they were not parties to a legal action which resulted in a judgment that ordered the federal government to deduct the 418 million dollars from the state government account to settle the debt obligations to various contractors who assisted the states in the Paris club refund project.
Defendants in the matters comprising contractors and banks had objected to the request by the state governors for the injunctive order against the federal government on the ground that a federal high court had earlier issued order that federal government should deduct the money.
The defendant argued that based on the earlier judgment of court, the former chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum, Abdulazeez Yari, issued a promissory note on behalf of the governor’s to the effect that the 418 million dollars be deducted from their money from the federation account.
Represented by various lawyers, they also challenged the jurisdiction of the court in the instant case adding that since the earlier judgment was delivered by the same court, more than 4 years ago, the governors have not deemed it fit to file appeal against the judgment.
