Four commercial banks have been summoned by a federal high court in Abuja over an ongoing garnishe proceeding against the Oyo State government.
The court in its ruling also attached funds belonging to the state government and its agenceis in the four deposit money banks.
The banks are Zenith Bank, First Bank, UBA and Wema Bank.
The order was issued following the refusal of the Governor Seyi Makinde- led government to carry out a Supreme Court order to pay former local government chairmen in the state, who were sacked by the state government after the incumbent came to office in 1999.
The sacked council officials had dragged the state government to court for wrongful removal, demanding also that they be paid for the period of their tenure as chairmen.
On May 27, 2021, the apex court ruled that the former council chairmen be paid their withheld emoluments to the tune of N3,334,889, 425.60.
So far, the state government has not carried out the judgement, prompting the former chairmen to go to court to demand that a garnishe order be issued on the state government accounts.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Justice A. O. Ebong issued the order while ruling on a motion ex-parte for garnishee order filed by the former council officials.
The ruling, the agency report said is on the motion marked: FCT/HC/BW/M/238/2023, and delivered by Justice Ebong on March 2 and a certified true copy, CTC seen last weekend.
Justice Ebong said “A garnishee order nisi is hereby granted to attach the judgment debtors’ accounts with garnishees Nos. 1 to 4 in the motion ex-parte, for the purpose of settling the judgment debt outstanding in the sum of N3,374,889,425.60 as awarded by the Supreme Court and conceded by the judgment debtors in Exhibit 11 attached to the applicant’s motion.
“The garnishees (1st to 4th) shall file affidavits and attend court on the next adjourned date to show cause why the order nisi should not be made absolute.
“A copy of this order nisi shall be served on the judgment debtors as required by law. This matter is hereby adjourned to the 4/4/2023 for continuation.”
It was gathered that the judgment creditors have since effected service of copies of the order on the judgment debtors as ordered by the court.
According to NAN. listed as judgment debtors with the Oyo State Governor is the state’s Attorney General, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the Accountant General, the House of Assembly, it’s Speaker and the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission, OYSIEC.
