Court reserves ruling in Kano LG allocation case

A Kano State High Court on Wednesday reserved a ruling in a suit filed by the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) against the Central Bank of Nigeria and others for withholding Kano Local Government allocations.

The applicant’s are Chairman of NULGE, Ibrahim Muhd, Ibrahim Uba Shehu, Ibrahim Shehu Abubakar, Usman Isa, Sarki Alhaji Kurawa, and Malam Usman Imam.

The applicant’s counsel, Mr. Bashir Yusuf-Muhammad, filed a motion ex parte dated Nov. 1, seeking the court to restrain the respondents from withholding or delaying allocations essential for local governance in the state.

The respondents are the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), the 44 Kano Local Government’s, UBA, Access, and six other commercial banks.

When the case came up for hearing, Yusuf-Muhammad filed a reply to the notice of preliminary objection dated November 20.

“The application is attached with a four-paragraph affidavit and a written address dated Nov. 3.

“We filed 11 paragraph of better and further affidavit dated Nov.20 and one exhibit.”

Yusuf-Muhammad urged the court to discountenance the respondents counter affidavit and grant the applicants reliefs.

Counsel to the 44 local governments, Mr. Eyitayo Fatogun, SAN, did not oppose the plaintiff’s application, adding that the disbursement of LG allocations should not be truncated.

Responding, counsel to CBN, Mr. Ganiyu Ajape, filed notice of preliminary objection dated Nov. 14, 2024, pursuant to order 8 rules (1)(2) of the fundamental rights.

“We filed our reaction and six-paragraph counter affidavit dated and filed Nov. 14.”

He urged the court to strike out the name of CBN in the suit for lacking jurisdiction to entertain the matter and not to grant the applicants relief.

Counsel to Guarantee Trust Bank, 49th respondent, Mr. Faruk Asekome, filed their counter affidavit dated Nov. 18 on the applicant originating motion attached with a written address.

Asekome urged the court to strike out his client’s name with a substantial cost.

“My Lord, there is no reasonable cause of action disclosed against GT Bank. We don’t have any say in the distribution of local government allocations.

Justice Ibrahim Musa-Muhammad adjourned the matter for ruling in the notice of preliminary objection and the substantive matter to a date that would be communicated to parties.

Supreme News reports that the court had on Nov. 6 restrained the CBN, AGF, and others from withholding Kano State 44 local government allocations.