Sacked chairmen and members of statutory commissions appointed by former Governor Kayode Fayemi would be paid over N234m by the present administration.
This is concurrent to the judgement given by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria which ordered the incumbent, Governor Ayodele Fayose, to make the payments.
The presiding judge, Justice Oyeyibola Oyewunmi, delivering judgment on Monday, ordered Fayose to pay the plaintiffs a total sum of N234,010,982.24 for terminating their appointments.
He, however, refused to answer the claimants’ prayers for a perpetual injunction restraining the governor or his agents from forcefully withdrawing the monetised vehicles given to them.
Fayose had upon resumption of office in 2014 sacked the chairmen and appointees of the State Independent National Electoral Commission, Civil Service Commission, House of Assembly Service Commission and Local Government Service Commission.
The sacked workers had thereafter sought succour in the court and filed separate suits against the governor and the Attorney-General of Ekiti State.
Represented by Femi Falana (SAN), the plaintiffs asked the court to order a reversal of their unlawful sacking as the tenures of their appointments are statutory.
They argued that the tenure of their appointment is statutory.
Justice Oyewumi, while delivering judgement, held that, “It is trite that where an appointment of an employee is terminated outside the specified terms of agreement or specified period, such a termination will be seen as wrongful or unlawful as the case may be.
“It is upon this basis that I find the dissolution of these commissions and removal of their chairmen and members by the first defendant (Fayose) as an act of executive recklessness, executive rascality, a grave disregard for the governor’s Oath of Office, which he sworn to uphold, defend and protect in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The action of the first defendant (Fayose) in this case leaves a sour taste in the mouth; a grotesque galore, which cannot and should not be allowed to stand in the way of justice.
“It is noteworthy that it has become fashionable for governors today that when they take over the affairs of a state, the first cause of action is for them to dissolve government boards, both statutory and otherwise, for them to fix into such positions their political gladiators, thereby disregarding/discountenancing the constitutional procedure for doing so. This, to say the least, is most unpatriotic and should not go unsanctioned.
“It is therefore declared that mere announcement of the dissolution of the offices of the claimants on the electronic media is a breach of constitutional trust. It is therefore declared null, void and of no effect. I so find and hold.”
