Supreme Court Reserves Judgement In Suit Against AGF Over Withheld Osun LG Funds

The Supreme Court, Tuesday, reserved its judgement successful a suit filed by Osun State government, seeking to restrain the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) from releasing the State’s withheld Local Government Funds to the disputed Local Government chairmen elected connected the level of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Justice Uwani Abba Aji, who led the sheet of Justices, reserved the judgement of the tribunal connected the substance aft taking arguments from Musbau Adetumbi, SAN, who represented Osun State’s Attorney General and Chief Akin Olujimi, SAN, who stood for the AGF.

In the suit, the Osun State’s Attorney General prayed the tribunal for an order, directing the AGF to instantly merchandise the statutory allocations to Chairmen and Councilors validly elected for the 30 Local Government Areas of the Osun State.

The plaintiff, who invoked Supreme Court’s archetypal jurisdiction based connected a missive by AGF according designation to the disputed APC chairmen, besides sought an bid stopping the AGF from further withholding, suspending oregon seizing monthly allocations and revenues lasting to the recognition of the Constituents Local Governments, having democratically elected Chairmen successful place.

The grouse of the Osun State Attorney General was that the AGF was incorrect successful his missive recognising APC Local Government chairmen erstwhile the substance was pending earlier tribunal of records.

He besides predicated his lawsuit connected the crushed that the predetermination that brought successful the APC officials arsenic Local Government chairmen and Councillors had been nullified by a Federal High Court and upheld by the Court of Appeal successful Abuja.

Adetumbi, portion presenting the lawsuit of the plaintiff, pleaded with the 7 Justices to uphold his arguments and assistance each the reliefs sought by his client.

However, successful opposition, the AGF represented by Akin Olujimi, SAN, argued a preliminary objection wherever helium urged the apex tribunal to disregard the lawsuit of the plaintiff connected assorted grounds.

Among others, the Olujimi argued that the plaintiff lacked locus standi (legal right) to bring the lawsuit earlier the Supreme Court to invoke the archetypal jurisdiction due to the fact that the substance is betwixt 2 governmental parties.

He besides contended that the apex tribunal lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit due to the fact that the suit was not competent to beryllium presented straight to the apex tribunal arsenic done by the plaintiff.

The elder lawyer argued that, the suit did not disclose immoderate origin of enactment adding that the tenure of the disputed section authorities assembly chairmen was inactive moving till October 22 and that, the due happening was for the statutory allocation to beryllium be released to them to tally the Councils.

Similarly, helium argued that Osun State Attorney General had engaged successful maltreatment of tribunal processes by filing cases successful astir 7 precocious courts connected the aforesaid taxable with the aforesaid parties.

He, therefore, urged the tribunal to garbage granting reliefs sought by the plaintiff and disregard the suit successful its entirety.