Alex Enumah in Abuja
The Registered Trustees of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Institute Monday sued President Muhammadu Buhari, Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and four others for the alleged ‘unlawful’ sack of the Board Chairman of the National Pension Commission PENCOM, Adamu Muazu, and the Director General, Mrs. Chinelo Anohu-Amazu.
The group, through its counsel, Chidi Nwankwo, in an originating summons marked FHC/ABJ/CS/368/2017 joined the National Assembly, Senate President, Alhaji Dikko Aliyu Abdulrahawan and Mr. Funso Doherty in the suit.
The plaintiff in the suit before the Abuja division of the Federal High Court is praying for a declaration that the removal of both PENCOM chairman and DG respectively from office without any justifiable reason whatsoever is in flagrant violation of Section 20 of Pension Reform Act No. 4 of 2014 and ‘ipso facto’, unlawful, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.
When the matter was mentioned yesterday, the trial judge, Justice John Tsoho, adjourned till October 16 for hearing.
The plaintiff is asking the court to determine whether the removal from Office of Mu’azu and Anohu-Amazu respectively without any justifiable reason whatsoever is not in clear violation of Sections 20 and 21(1) of Pension Reform Act No. 4 of 2014.
The court is also asked to determine whether the appointment of Abdulrahaman and Doherty as the Chairman and DG of PENCOM respectively, is not in violation of Sections 19(5) and 21(2) of the Pension Reform Act 2014.
Upon the determination of the questions, the plaintiff is praying the court to make a declaration that the appointment of Abdulrahaman and Doherty is in violation of Sections 19(5) and 21(2) of Pension Reform Act No. 4 of 2014, and therefore, illegal, null and void and no effect in law.
He, however, prayed for an order setting aside the removal of Muazu and Anohu-Amazu as Chairman and DG of PENCOM respectively.
They also want the court to set aside the purported appointment of Abdulrahaman and Doherty as Chairman and DG of PENCOM.
The plaintiff further wants the court to make an order restraining President Buhari and Malami from interfering with the functions of Muazu and Anohu-Amaza of PENCOM or stopping/preventing them from assuming their respective offices and/or discharging their functions as chairman and director general respectively of PENCOM.
The plaintiff also wants the court to make an order restraining the Senate President and AGF from screening Abdulrahaman and Doherty for purposes of assumption of office as DG and chairman respectively of PENCOM.
Also, the plaintiff wants the court to make an order of injunction restraining Abdulrahaman and Doherty from parading themselves as the DG and Chairman of PENCOM.
