Justice Ahmed
Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division has granted an order of
mandamus seeking the arrest and immediate sack of Minister of Transportation,
Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and his Science and Technology counterpart, Ogbonnaya
Onu, over recent allegations levelled against them by two justices of the
Supreme Court.
The applicant, Human Rights
Foundation International, sought the order in its substantive suit where it
prayed the court to compel the Department of State Services (DSS) and the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to “perform their statutory
obligations” by immediately arresting and prosecuting the two ministers.
The group also sought an
order of mandamus compelling President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately sack
both ministers “in the interest of the public and morality” based on
allegations of attempts to influence court decisions as claimed by the two
jurists.
A copy of the enrolled order made on
December 1 specifically called for the disengagement of the ministers pending
when they were cleared by a court of competent jurisdiction.
The plaintiff further asked for an order of mandamus under
the reviewed Administrative Action/Inaction Procedure, to first seek and obtain
the leave of court through an ex-parte application to properly commence the
suit.
In the relief sought, the plaintiff raised the following
questions: “Whether or not the allegation made by Justices Inyang Okoro and
Sylvester N. Ngwuta in connection with the criminal-like invasion of their
houses by the DSS on allegation of corruption, which the matter is already in
the public domain, should be investigated and those arrested be prosecuted by
the third and fourth defendants.
“Whether or not the allegation is a reasonable ground to
warrant the 5th defendant, which is the President of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria and who claims that his administration is fighting corruption, to sack
or compel Amaechi and Onu to resign from office as ministers pending when they
are cleared of every allegation of corruption.”
Both justices had in two separate correspondences to former
Chief Justice Mahmud Mohammed accused the ministers of attempting to influence
court decisions in some election cases between 2015 and this year.
The matter has, however, been slated for mention on December
15.
http://guardian.ng/news/court-grants-order-to-arrest-sack-amaechi-onu/
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