Kwara pensioners protest Supreme Court ruling

By Demola Akinyemi

ILORIN—AGGRIEVED pensioners in Kwara State have taken to the streets of Ilorin, to protest the Supreme Court ruling referring their case against the state government back to the State High Court for trial.

The 9,030 pensioners had dragged government to court over perceived illegal deduction of N1.68 billion from their pension and gratuities since 2008.

However, on April 26, the Supreme Court in Abuja, upheld the appeal filed against them by the Kwara State government.

The Supreme Court set aside the judgment of the Appeal Court, which ordered that the pensioners’ entitlements be paid to them, and ordered that the case be returned for trial at the State High Court.

It equally held that the case, which commenced with an originating summons, be heard by another judge of Kwara State High Court, aside Justice E. B. Mohammed, who had earlier heard it.

No date has been fixed for the resumption of the trial at the State High Court, which had earlier ruled in favour of the state government, prompting the pensioners’ challenge at the Appeal Court, where government was ordered to pay them N1.68 billion  within 60 days.

The placard-bearing pensioners took off from their secretariat on Com-missioner Way, GRA Ilorin, to Challenge Roundabout, Post Office area and back to the secretariat.

Spokesman of the protesters and Secretary ýof the Concerned Pensioners of Nigeria, Kwara State chapter, Ayobamidele Ajibola, told newsmen: “The Supreme Court should reconsider this appeal and render a well-deserved judgment that can stand the test of time based on non-workability and non-consideration of the preliminary objection to the competency of the appeal.”

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