Court rejects Sanusi's bid to reverse suspension

Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on
Wednesday declined an ex-parte application filed by the suspended
Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN), Lamido
Sanusi.Sanusi had in the application, sought to reverse his
suspension by President Goodluck Jonathan, pending the
determination of an interlocutory motion he filed along with a suit he
initiated, challenging the suspension.He had accompanied the ex-
parte application with documents, includinga letter dated February
19, 2014, addressed to the plaintiff by the Secretary to the
Government of the Federation, titled:”Suspension from
office.”Shortly after the applicant’s lawyer, Sam Kagbo, informed
the court about the application, Justice Kolawole said he felt
hesitant and constrained to grant the reliefs sought. He ordered that
the respondents be put on notice.On plaintiff’s apprehension that a
delay would occasion harm to his interest, the judge noted that the
court possesses the powers to declare the suspension unlawful and
order his return to office, if at the end of trial, it finds that the
suspension was wrong.He added that even where the tenure had
lapsed, the court could order the defendants to pay the plaintiff such
remunerations and allowances, if his remuneration and allowances
were also suspended while his suspension lasted.The judge held that
it was unsafe, at the current preliminary stage of the case, for the
court to embark on granting far-reaching interim orders which have
all the attributes of a mandatory injunction without hearing from the
defendants.Justice Kolawole noted that, when defendants have been
duly served withthe originating summons and motion on notice, he
intends to inquire whether, in the light of the Third Alteration Act,
No: 20 of the Constitution, the Federal High Court has the
jurisdiction to hear the case, irrespective of the questions for
determination contained in the originating summons.He consequently
adjourned to March 12 for hearing.In a suit filed on Monday,
Sanusi wants the court to among others, restrain the President and
two others from giving effect to his purported suspension pending the
determinationof his suit.Also to be restrained are the Attorney
General of the Federation (AGF) and the Inspector General of
Police (IGP).
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