The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has objected the National Industrial Court’s order asking it to pay entitlements totaling N2.5 billion to 110 disengaged staff of the Ahmadu Bello University ( ABU), Zaria that were sacked in 1996.
Joined in the suit as respondents are the 110 disengaged staff, ABU, Zaria, Minister of Education, Federal Ministry of Education and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, as first, second, third and fourth respondents respectively.
When the matter was called on Tuesday before Justice Rakiya Hasstrup, counsel to the apex bank, Barrister Matthias Agboni told the court that he had an application for stay of execution before the court.
He proceeded to withdraw an earlier motion dated and filed on March 8 and replaced with another of April 14.
Counsel to the first respondent, Barrister Femi Adedeji, informed the court that he was not opposing the withdrawal but that he opposed the written address that accompanied the new application.
Similarly, counsel to the third respondent, Barrister Kashim Idi, did not oppose Agboni’s application for withdrawal, adding that he has not filed any process because he had just been served processes by Adedeji.
In his order, the judge, therefore, said that the CBN’s application dated March 8 was duly struck out and directed the counsel to the first respondent to respond to the new application he was opposing and serve parties.
Adedeji, however, objected and said that the appellant was trying to delay the proceeding by frustrating and wasting the time of the court, pointing out that even then he is ready to respond to the appellant’s application on Point of Law
Agboni then proceeded to take his application dated and filed on April 14 brought pursuant to order 64, rules 8 and 13 of the NICN Civil Procedure of 2017.
The applications prayed for three orders of the court.
The first prayer was for an order of stay of execution of the earlier judgment of the court delivered on Jan. 27, pending the hearing and determination of the appeal.
