A Rivers State Excessive Court docket sitting in Port Harcourt has fastened July 14, 2025, for the listening to of a go well with filed by the Chairman and members of the Rivers State Companies Fee, who have been appointed by the suspended state governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
They’re difficult their dismissal by the Sole Administrator of the state, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas.
Different defendants within the go well with, which contests the powers of the only real administrator to dismiss the Fee members, embody the Rivers State Authorities, the Accountant Basic, Entry Financial institution, Zenith Financial institution, and eleven others.
DAILY POST stories that when the matter, initially scheduled for adoption of ultimate written addresses, was talked about in court docket on Thursday, counsels representing Entry Financial institution and Zenith Financial institution introduced an software for an extension of time to file their processes.
The applying was not opposed by the opposite events.
Presiding Choose, Justice Frank Onyiri, after listening to arguments from counsels to the twelfth and thirteenth respondents, adjourned the matter to July 14, 2025, for listening to and doable adoption of all processes.
The claimants, Rev. Goodlife Iduoku Ben, Amadi Christian Echele, Chimenim Knowledge Jerome, and three others, are difficult what they described as their “unlawful sack by the only real administrator.”
They argued that they have been duly appointed and confirmed by the Rivers State Home of Meeting, and that information of their affirmation have been documented with the Clerk of the Home earlier than they have been issued appointment letters by the governor.
In an affidavit deposed to by the suspended Chairman, Ben, the claimants maintained that the only real administrator lacked the authorized authority to droop them and appoint new members to the fee.
Nevertheless, the defence crew, led by Professor Ajayi, has filed a preliminary objection, contesting the jurisdiction of the Rivers State Excessive Court docket to entertain the matter.
In response to them, underneath the mixed provisions of the Emergency Powers Act, 1961 and Emergency Powers (Jurisdiction) Act, 1962, solely the Federal Supreme Court docket has the authority to listen to such circumstances.
The authorized crew representing the only real administrator additional relied on the aforementioned legal guidelines to justify the administrator’s powers to droop and appoint members of the fee.
However in response, the claimants’ authorized crew, led by Mustapha Abraham, SAN, argued that the 1961 and 1962 Acts cited by the defence are now not in pressure.
They contended that underneath the 1999 Structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, these legal guidelines are thought of spent and listed as such within the Legal guidelines of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.