By OBSERVERS TIMES
The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has mandated the Kogi State government to pay former Deputy Governor Elder Simon Achuba a total of N1,070,860,138.00. This amount, which includes salaries, allowances, and statutory allocations, is based on the approved budget for the state government for the years 2017 and 2018.
In a unanimous ruling delivered on Friday, the Court of Appeal granted Achuba’s application for the enforcement of a previous judgment issued on April 29, 2024, in his favor. The court had previously ordered that all entitlements due to Achuba be paid.
Following the ruling, Achuba approached the Kogi State governor for payment but was informed that the government did not recognize any debt owed to him and claimed there was no such order in the court’s judgment.
Concerned about the government’s non-compliance, Achuba sought enforcement through his counsel, Samuel Ogala. The three-member panel of Justices, led by Justice Okon Abang, ruled that the Kogi State government must immediately pay Achuba his monthly salaries, allowances, and other statutory allocations as outlined in the state’s approved 2017 and 2018 budgets.
Justice Abang emphasized that Achuba is entitled to the total sum of N1,070,860,138.00, which the Kogi State government is required to pay. He also addressed the respondents’ claims that the court lacked jurisdiction over the application, stating, “This is a post-judgment application, and this court has the jurisdiction to entertain it.”
Achuba was impeached by the Kogi State House of Assembly in 2019 and replaced by Edward Onoja, who was reelected last year alongside Governor Yahaya Bello. The impeachment followed a report from a committee established by the late State Chief Judge, Nasir Ajana, which investigated allegations of gross misconduct against Achuba.
A Kogi High Court later ruled that the nomination and inauguration of Onoja as deputy governor did not adhere to due process. Additionally, Achuba has pursued legal action against the state government in the National Industrial Court, Abuja, arguing that the withholding of his allowances constitutes an unfair labor practice.
