By Rosemary Ogbonnaya
The Lawyers to aggrieved directors in the ongoing processes for the selection of Permanent Secretaries in the Federal Civil Service have sued the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan for charges of contempt of court.
The Counsel to the aggrieved directors, Bemdoo Hassan from Municipal Solicitors, who filed the contempt charges at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria on Monday, said this became imperative in view of the refusal of the Head of Service and the Integrated Personnel Payroll and Information System Consultant to comply with earlier court orders to open the IPPIS Portal for participating directors to update their records as well as participate in the ongoing processes for the selection of Permanent Secretaries.
Recall that about 17 directors were disqualified by the screening committee from taking the permanent secretary written examination which was held 21th February, 2022 on grounds that they were “ghost” workers.
Angered by the development, the aggrieved directors approached the National Industrial Court of Nigeria before Her Ladyship Hon. Justice O.A Obaseki-Osaghae in suit No.NICN/ABJ/47/2022 with motion ex-parte seeking to be allowed to participate in the permanent secretary selection process as well as carry out the other processes.
Most of the affected directors claimed that they have been working with the Federal Service for over 30 years and receiving their salaries regularly but alleged that they were denied opportunity to update their records on IPPIS platform in order to print the IPPIS information slip.
The aggrieved directors, however, secured two court orders on the Consultant handling the IPPIS Portal from a Magistrate Court and another Court order from the National Industrial Court of Nigeria for both the Consultant and the Head of Service to allow the affected candidates participate in the selection processes.
All the Court orders have been ignored prompting the aggrieved candidates to return to court to press contempt charges against the Head of Service.
The Lawyer while briefing newsmen further noted that the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice would be notified so that the Chief Law Officer of the Federation could brief the President accordingly.
The last leg of the process is due to end in two days’ time after which the Head of Service is expected to present the final list of successful candidates to the President Muhammadu Buhari for approval.
“It remains to be seen, what the President will do in the matter in the face of multiple court orders,” Hassan said.
He said: “As you are aware, we have filed this complaint and the same was taken with motion and orders of the court were given which have been served on all the defendants and up till date as we speak, the defendants, who resisted service severally, were finally served and they have not complied with any order of the court.
“They have been duly served and the process is still ongoing. They have deprived the claimants from further participating in the process leading to the appointment of the permanent secretaries. The laws are very clear on the next procedure to take regarding orders of the court that have not been complied with.
“As law abiding citizens of Nigeria, we cannot take laws into our hands. The Court will do what it is supposed to do and take the appropriate steps in line with the laws of Nigeria.
“We have also taken upon ourselves to notify the Attorney-General of Nigeria who is the chief Law Officer of the Federation. We know that by so doing, he will also advise the President appropriately on disputation on the processes of appointment of the permanent secretaries to fill vacant positions in the Federal Ministries.
