Group drags Buhari, Malami to court over sack of PENCOM chairman, DG

THE Registered Trustees of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Institute on Monday dragged President Muhammadu Buhari, Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) and our others before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja over alleged unlawful sack of the Board Chairman of the National Pension Commission (PENCOM)‎, Adamu Muazu and the Director-General, Mrs Chinelo Anohu-Amazu.

The group through its counsel, Chidi Nwankwo in an Originating Summons marked HC/ABJ/CS/368/2017 joined the National Assembly, Senate President, Alhaji Dikko Aliyu Abdulrahawan‎ and Mr Funso Doherty as defendants.

The plaintiff is praying the court for a declaration that the removal of both PENCOM Chairman and DG respectively from office without any justifiable reason whatsoever is in flagrant violation of Section 20 of Pension Reform Act No. 4 of 2014, which it noted was illegal, unlawful, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.

When the matter was mentioned on Monday, the trial judge, Justice John Tsoho adjourned till October 16, 2017 for hearing.

The plaintiff is asking the court to determine whether the removal of Mu’azu and Anohu-Amazu respectively from office without any justifiable reason whatsoever is not in clear violation of Sections 20 and 21(1) of Pension Reform Act No. 4 of 2014.

The court is also asked to determine whether the appointment of Abdulrahaman and Doherty as the DG and Chairman of PENCOM respectively‎ is not in violation of Sections 19(5) and 21(2) of the Pension Reform Act No. 4 of 2014.

Upon the determination of the questions, the court is prayed to make a declaration that the appointment of Abdulrahaman and Doherty violates Sections 19(5) and 21(2) of Pension Reform Act No. 4 of 2014 and, therefore, illegal, null and void and no effect in law.

The plaintiff however prays for an order setting aside the removal of Muazu and Anohu-Amazu as Chairman and DG of PENCOM respectively and to set aside the purported appointment of Abdulrahaman and Doherty as chairman and DG of PENCOM.

The plaintiff further wants the court to make an order restraining President Buhari and Malami from interfering with the functions of Muazu and Anohu-Amaza of PENCOM or stopping/preventing them from assuming their respective offices and/or discharging their functions as Chairman and Director General respectively of PENCOM.

The plaintiff also wants the court to make an order restraining the Senate President and AGF from screening Abdulrahaman and Doherty for purposes of assumption of office as DG and Chairman respectively of PENCOM.

The plaintiff also wants the court to make an order injunction restraining the Abdulrahaman and Doherty from parading themselves as the DG and Chairman of PENCOM.