LG allocations: Kano court reserves ruling on NULGE suit against CBN

A Kano State High Court has reserved ruling in a suit filed by the National Union of Local Government Employees against the Central Bank of Nigeria and others stopping them from withholding Kano local government allocations.

The applicants are the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, Ibrahim Muhd, Ibrahim Uba Shehu, Ibrahim Shehu Abubakar, Usman Isa, Sarki Alhaji Kurawa and Malam Usman Imam.

The applicants, through their counsel, Mr Bashir Muhammad, filed a motion exparte dated November 1, 2024, 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, the 44 Kano Local Governments, the United Bank for Africa, Access and six other commercial banks.

When the case came up for hearing on Wednesday, Muhammad filed a reply to the notice of preliminary objection dated November 20, 2024.

He stated, “The application is attached with a four-paragraph affidavit and a written address dated November 3.

“We filed 11 paragraphs of the better and further affidavit dated November 20, 2924 and one exhibit”

Muhammad urged the court to discountenance the respondent’s counter-affidavit and grant the applicant relief

However, counsel for the 44 local governments, Eyitayo Fatogun, did not oppose the plaintiff’s application.

Fatogun stated that the disbursement of local government allocations should not be truncated.

Responding, counsel for CBN, Ganiyu Ajape, filed a notice of preliminary objection dated November 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 November 14,” the notice read.

Ajape 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.

Justice Ibrahim 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.

Recall that the court on November 6, restrained the CBN, AGF and others from withholding Kano State 44 Local Government allocations.