A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja headed by Justice Inyang Ekwo has refused to vacate a restraining order against the federal government stopping the deduction of $418 million Paris Club refund from bank accounts of the 36 states of the federation.
The court fixed December 13 for continuation of hearing in a suit instituted by the states against the federal government to challenge the bid to deduct the sum of $418 million from their bank accounts.
Justice Ekwo held that the order subsists until the motion for interlocutory injunction filed by the states against the federal government is heard and determined.
The sum is planned to be deducted by the federal government through the office of the attorney general of the federation (AGF) and minister of justice to pay contractors who worked for the state governments in the Paris Club refund. Leadership.
The judge, during proceedings yesterday, permitted the plaintiffs (36 states) to regularise processes that were filled out of time.
The court also granted permission for substituted service on some of the defendants who allegedly refused to accept court processes.
The motion for regularisation and substituted service, granted by the judge, were argued by Mr Jibrin Okutepa SAN on behalf of the states.
Before adjourning the matter, the judge counseled the parties to thread softly, adding that the matter will be diligently determined.
He thereafter fixed December 13 for the court to attend to all pending applications and ordered that fresh hearing notice should be served on the parties.
Justice Ekwo had on November 5 stopped the federal government from going ahead to deduct the $418million dollars from the bank account of the 36 states governments.