Again, Ganduje disobeys court order, seeks confirmation of Balarabe as substantive anti-graft agency’s chairman

By solacebase.com On Apr 12, 2023

Abdullahi Ganduje, Salihu Lukman, APC, National Chairman — Former Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje

By Muhammad Muhammad

Barring any last minute changes, the Kano state house of assembly is set to screen and confirm the appointment of Barrister Mahmoud Balarabe as substantive executive chairman of Kano state public complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission.

This is sequel to the transmission of Balarabe’s nomination to the state lawmakers, a formal letter read by speaker Rt. Hon. Ibrahim Hamisu Chideri before the plenary on Tuesday.

SOLACEBASE reports that Ganduje’s move to confirm Balarabe who has been on acting capacity as substantive chairman came despite the verdict of National Industrial Court, which recognized Barrister Muhuyi Magaji Rimin-Gado as substantive chairman of the state Anti-corruption Commission.

In the letter personally signed by Governor Ganduje, dated 23rd February, 2023, and received by clerk of the assembly on 6th March, 2023 and presented on the floor on 11th April, 2023, the governor explained that appointment of Balarabe become pertinent following the vacuum created after the suspension and subsequent dismissal of Rimin-Gado.

” Sequel to the existing vacancy for the office of the Chairman Kano state Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission, which was occasioned by the suspension and subsequent dismissal of it’s former Chairman Muhuyi Magaji Rimin-Gado on reason of alleged forgery committed and other infraction, there is need to fill the vacuum.

” Subsequently and in view of the above, I am pleased to forward the name of Barrister Mahmoud Balarabe for the appointment from acting to substantive chairman and hereby seek for screening and confirmation by the esteem house of assembly”. Ganduje wrote.

However, Rimin-Gado who dragged Kano state government, Kano State House of Assembly, Kano State Attorney General, Kano State Accountant General and Kano state Police command before the Industrial Court, challenging his suspension had secured judgement that confirmed him as substantive chairman of the Anti-corruption commission.

In the judgement delivered by Justice O.O Oyewumi, on 14th December, 2022, the court held that Rimin-Gado remained the substantive chairman of the commission and also ordered the sum of N5,713,891.22 being the cumulative sum amount of his salaries accrued from the date he (Rimin-Gado) was suspended till the date of judgement.

Justice Oyewumi also ordered that Rimin-Gado is equally entitled to be paid his salaries subsequently till the date when the government decided to reinstate him.

Despite the clear declaration of the competent court of jurisdiction, the government has failed to honour the order of the court, a development which compelled the claimant to institute notice of consequences of disobedience to order of the court against the state government.

Similarly, in a notice of consequence of disobedience to court order, form 48 dated 11th April, 2023, signed by S.N Aikawa, registrar of the court, cautioned the defendants that ” to unless you obey the directive as contained in the certificate of Industrial court judgement released on 10th February 2023, you will be guilty of contempt of court and will be liable to be committed to prison”.

The defendants are Kano State Government, Attorney General Kano State and Kano State House of Assembly.

Meanwhile, the Government is yet to react on the reason why the court judgement was not obeyed. The office of the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice has also remained silent to the notice of disobedience to order of the court.

SOLACEBASE also gathered that the incoming administration of the governor elect, Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) has concluded arrangement to return Muhuyi Magaji as Chairman of the anti-graft agency.