The Digest:
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed attempts by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) to stop the payment of ₦2.5 billion to 110 workers unlawfully dismissed in 1996. In a unanimous judgment, the court ordered the CBN to immediately release the funds, which ABU had deposited with the bank in 2018 to settle the judgment debt. The court rejected the CBN's arguments that garnishee proceedings were inappropriate and that consent from the Attorney-General was required. Justice Okon Abang, delivering the lead judgment, strongly criticised the CBN for frustrating the payment, describing its actions as "reckless and reprehensible" and a prolongation of the workers' suffering. The court awarded an additional ₦10 million in costs against both institutions.
Key Points:
- The ruling provides long-awaited financial justice to workers who have been seeking redress for nearly three decades.
- It reinforces the authority of court judgments and the legal mechanism of garnishee proceedings to enforce them.
- The court's censure of the CBN highlights institutional resistance to fulfilling legal obligations.
- The additional costs imposed signal judicial intolerance for tactics that delay or deny justice.
- The outcome underscores the protracted nature of labour disputes and the hardship caused by prolonged litigation.
The judgment represents a definitive legal victory for the workers, compelling the immediate release of their entitlements and condemning further obstruction.
Sources: Channels Tv
