Court Nullifies Jibrin’s Suspension, Orders Reps To pay Him Accrued Salaries

The 180-legislative-day suspension placed on a former Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin,‎ by the House of Representatives, on September 28, 2016 have been deemed illegal by an Abuja based court.

Justice John Tsoho while declaring his verdict on the suspension imposed on the lawmaker by the House of representative, the judge announced that the suspension of the legislator as illegal and ordered the lower legislative chamber to pay him all the salary due to him for the period he was unjustly suspended.

“The suspension was an interruption of his earning which will be automatically restored especially when it has been decided that the action was a nullity by virtue of granting prayers 1 and 3 of the originating summons.

“When an action is declared nullity it is deemed that it never happened.” the judge said.

Jibrin have insisted that he gets redress and ensuring that his fundamental human rights enforcement as regards his suspension, though he has since resumed his legislative duties.

The house has in july 2016 had suspended the lawmaker after seeking the removal of the the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, and other principal for allegedly padding the 2016 budget with N40 billion addition.

Jibrin had reported the alleged corrupt act to the various law enforcement agencies including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission and the police.

Justice Tsoho, in his ruling on Thursdays align with the claim that Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) asserted adding that

lawmaker’s act act was a lawful one, and suspending him because of it was an attempt to gag him.

“There is no better conclusion that the plaintiff was carrying out the mandate imposed on members by Chapter 7 (7.5) of the Code of Conduct for Honourable Members adopted on November 4, 2004,” the judge ruled.