President of the Commission for the Civil Service of suspended rivers, other Ibas – Thage

By Ayo Kehinde

The President and members of the Commission for the State Civil Service of Rivers, appointed by the Governor Siminalayi Fubara, sued the only administrator, IBOK-ETE IBAS, and others in court for suspension.

The applicants, Rev. Goodlife Iduku Ben, Amadi Christian Echele, Chimenim Wisdom Jerome and three others, are challenging what they have described as their illegal removal from the only administrator.

In the case presented at the Alta Court of the State of Rivers, the applicants claim to have been legally appointed and confirmed by the Chamber of the Shareholders’ Meeting of the State of Rivers and that before the Governor’s letters had issued, the registers of their confirmation were with the employee of the Chamber.

According to a sworn declaration signed by the suspended president, Ben, the applicants insist that the only administrator does not have the legal power to suspend them and appoint a new president and members of the Commission.

When the question came at the hearing on Thursday, the legal team of the administrator alone, which included about five Senior supporters of Nigeria, presented their defense, together with a notice of preliminary objection, challenging the jurisdiction of the high court of the state of the spinners to listen and determine the matter.

They are also arguing that, according to the combined provisions of the law on emergency powers, 1961 and the law on emergency powers (jurisdiction), 1962, the adequate Court for these issues is the Federal Supreme Court, which since then support has been modified by the regulation of the president to what is now known as the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

The legal team of the only state administrator has also brought heavily on the above laws to support, in their defense of the substantial cause, that the administrator derives his powers to suspend and make appointments from these laws.

However, the legal team of applicants, in their response, insisted on the fact that both the acts of 1961 and 1962 invoked by the defense are obsolete, stating that pursuant to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFRN), these laws are considered expenses and are clearly listed as such in the laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN), 2004.

The judge chair, judge Frank Onyiri, subsequently postponed the case to June 17, 2025, for the adoption of all the trials.

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