Pesioners: Court adjourns contempt suit
against CBN till Oct 29
By Innocent Anaba
LAGOS—A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, adjourned till October 29, hearing in the committal proceedings initiated by some pensioners, against the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, over the alleged disobedience of the judgment of the court by the apex bank.
LAGOS—A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, adjourned till October 29, hearing in the committal proceedings initiated by some pensioners, against the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, over the alleged disobedience of the judgment of the court by the apex bank.
The plaintiffs are Mr James Jemilo, Mr Thompson Edun, Mr Jacob Amao, and Mr Joachim Ajala.
The plaintiff for themselves and on behalf of all CBN pensioners, who had prayed the court to compel the CBN to comply with the Federal Government’s directive on pension harmonisation, obtained a favourable judgment from the court.
They returned to court, seeking to commit the CBN and others to prison for refusing to obey the judgment of the court.
Other alleged contemnors are the CBN Deputy Governor, Corporate Services, Alhaji Suleiman Barau; Director, Human Resources, Ms Chizoba Mojekwu, and Director of Legal Services, Mr Simon Onekutu.
Hearing in the committal proceedings, which was earlier adjourned till October 6, was adjourned by the court, yesterday, as the earlier date fell within the Sallah holidays.
Meanwhile, the court will on the new date hear the main suit and a preliminary objection to the suit.
The plaintiffs had averred that the harmonisation policy was introduced in the public service with effect from January 1, 1997, as same “Was designed to eliminate the disparities in the pensions of workers who retired on the same grade, with those who served the same number of years but retired at different times.”
According to them, following alleged failure by CBN to comply with the policy, they filed suit number FHC/L/CS524/99 before a Federal High Court in Lagos, seeking an order, compelling it to so abide.
The CBN had however, in its defence, said that it could only pay the harmonised pension, subject to “affordability and sustainability” of pension funds.
But in a judgment delivered on May 22, 2000, trial judge, Justice Wilson Egbo-Egbo, (now retired), granted the reliefs sought by the pensioners.
Dissatisfied with the Federal High court’s judgment, CBN had appealed its decision before the Court of Appeal, and later the Supreme Court.
The plaintiffs averred that after the Supreme Court’s judgment, CBN slightly enhanced the pension arrears of about 1,604 pensioners who retired before June 1, 2000, out of 5,000 eligible pensioners.
According to the plaintiffs, by so doing, the CBN failed to comply with the court’s judgment, inspite of been written several letters by their counsel, and given ample time to regularise.
Following the alleged refusal by CBN to heed the court’s judgment, the plaintiffs initiated a contempt proceeding against it in November 2013, before Justice Saliu Saidu.
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