by Akan Ido

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has declined jurisdiction on a suit filed by the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi essentially challenging his suspension by President Goodluck Jonathan on February 20, 2014.

In a Ruling spanning over 2 hours, Justice Kolawole upheld the submissions of the counsel to the President, Fabian Ajogwu (SAN) and that of the counsel to the Attorney General of the Federation, Mike Ozekhome, SAN.  In his preliminary objection filed in opposition to the plaintiff’s originating summons, Ajogwu argued that the Federal High Court lacks jurisdiction to entertain the suit because it bothers on labour matters. Accordingly, he had urged the Court to decline jurisdiction on it. Counsel to the Attorney-General of the Federation sued as the second defendant, Mike Ozekhome, had in the hearing of the matter urged the Justice Kolawole to wash his hands off the case as the Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit.

Upholding the submission of the Counsel to the Defendants, the Court declined jurisdiction and accordingly referred the matter to the National Industrial Court. The judge in the course of delivering the Ruling faulted the submissions of Counsel to Malam Sanusi, Kola Awodein and A.B Mahmoud who in their pleadings had said that the suspended CBN governor was not an employee of the Federal Government but that of the Board of the Central Bank of Nigeria, which he incidentally headed. Upholding the arguments of the Counsel to the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Umoh, the Court also struck out the name of the IGP sued as third Defendant holding that there was no cause of action against the IG.