Judge orders Lalong, Attorney General to settle 2-year judges’ benefit

The presiding Judge of the Nigerian Industrial Court, Jos Division, Kenneth Ikechukwu Amadi, on Tuesday, gave a three-week ultimatum to Plateau State government to settle two-year entitlement of the seven state High Court Judges. In a suit no. NICN/JOS/21/2020, Justice Muhammad Sirajo, and six other justices had sued Governor Simon Lalong, State Attorney General, Chrysantus […]

Judge orders Lalong, Attorney General to settle 2-year judges’ benefit

Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State

The presiding Judge of the Nigerian Industrial Court, Jos Division, Kenneth Ikechukwu Amadi, on Tuesday, gave a three-week ultimatum to Plateau State government to settle two-year entitlement of the seven state High Court Judges.

In a suit no. NICN/JOS/21/2020, Justice Muhammad Sirajo, and six other justices had sued Governor Simon Lalong, State Attorney General, Chrysantus Ahmadu and the Plateau State government for refusing to settle their five-year benefits.

Daily Trust reports that after the last sitting, three-year benefits were paid.

At the resumed hearing n Tuesday, counsel to the plaintiff, Oladele Oyelami told the court that alternative dispute resolution between both parties had failed and therefore asked the court to commence hearing on the case.

But counsel to the defendants, FB Lotben, a Director Civil Litigation, in the Ministry of Justice, confirmed that both parties had met and the settlement had not failed.

But the judge, however, insisted that the date for the payment must be declared to end the case.

In her response, Lotben told the court that the defendants would pay the 2019 entitlement before Friday this week and that of 2020 would be paid before the end of December.

The judge, in his submission, said he would reserve the judgment until when the fixed date for the payment was breached.