Bauchi State Government has been dragged to court by the estate of a retired High Court Judge, Late Justice Bala Umar, Khadi Hamidu Gambo Bununu, Khadi Mohammed Shua’ibu and the Estate of Late Khadi Ibrahim Mohammed Liman, over nonpayment of their entitlements several years after they retired from service.
Counsel to the Plaintiffs, Isa Mohammed ESQ, stated this while answering questions from reporters on Thursday at the Industrial Court in Bauchi, stating that, “it is true we have filed a suit against the State Government, Honourable Commissioners of Justice, Finance and State Accountant General. We are asking them to pay the entitlements of our clients to the tune of N166,455,208,00 as calculated. We are also asking the court to order the defendants to pay the plaintiffs N10, 000, 000, 00 as general damages and N2, 000, 000, 00 for legal services incurred.”
Barrister Isa Mohammed, further said that the plaintiffs are aggrieved by the actions and inactions of the defendants because they were not paid their entitlements several years after they retired from service to the extent some of them died while waiting to be paid their entitlements.
He said that the First Plaintiff’s Estate of a retired Judge of the State High court, Late Justice Bala Umar who retired from Service on the 31st day of December 2010, the second Plaintiff, retired Khadi Hamidu Gambo Bununu retired on 30th day of November 2012 the third Plaintiff, Khadi Mohammed Shua’ibu who retired from service on 31stDecember 2013 and the Estate of retired Khadi Ibrahim Mohammed Liman who retired on 8thMarch 2012.
Barrister Isa Mohammed further said that the Plaintiffs were engaged by the defendants at various times they worked diligently and rose to the coveted positions of Judges and Khadis in the State service, despite their unflinching support in the cause of their duties until their retirements variously the State Government which were responsible for the appointment and the payment of retirement benefits and other entitlement of Judicial officers past and present government failed, refused or neglected to pay them their retirement benefits that included gratuity and other retirement benefits.
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He said his clients being respected Judicial officers of repute did not deem it fit to engage the defendants on rancour basis to press home their demands and has over the years following their retirement followed, lobbied, and made appropriate demands whenever a good and respectable opportunity of doing so arose and wee even wrote a demand notice for the payment of due retirement benefits to the plaintiffs and others but government did not pay them.
Barrister Isa said, “remember that the plaintiffs have families and responsibilities and the society is viewing them with utmost respect, but this lack of concern for their plight is pushing them to press home their demands through this unsavoury but only means, having been bedevilled by ailments consequence of long service years and the demand of the Judicial Job”.
He said his firm has filed the suit since June 2018 but presently they are expecting the court to fix a date for the mention of the case since all Judges are on vacation now.
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