Kogi State Government, has lodged a suit at the Supreme Court over the recent Court of Appeal judgment that awarded a N1,070,860,138.00 to a former state Deputy Governor, Simon Achuba.
The state government argued that the money ordered by the Court of Appeal as unpaid salaries, allowances, and statutory entitlements, allegedly from the state’s approved budgets for 2017 and 2018, was not contained in any previous judgment delivered by the National Industrial Court (NIC).
The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, had in a unanimous ruling on Friday, April 25, 2025, ordered the payment to Achuba, stating it was for the enforcement of an earlier judgment delivered in his favour on April 29, 2024.
This earlier judgment had affirmed Achuba’s entitlement to full remuneration as deputy governor.
However, the Kogi State Government , maintains that when approached for payment following the April 29, 2024, judgment, it was informed that no such directive for the specific N1.07 billion amount existed within the court’s ruling.
Legal representatives for the Kogi State Government argue that the National Industrial Court, which has primary jurisdiction over labour and employment matters, had previously delivered a judgment on November 4, 2020, ordering the state to pay Achuba N180 million for outstanding security votes from April 2018 to August 2019.
The state complied with this order.
The current appeal to the Supreme Court seeks to clarify the basis for the significantly increased award and to ensure that the judgment sum aligns with the pronouncements of the National Industrial Court, which initially heard the dispute regarding Achuba’s entitlements.
The state government is resolute in its commitment to due process and the rule of law.
(vitalnewsngr.com)
