Ibas: Rivers Court to Deliver Judgment October 2 on Commission Members’ Removal

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has fixed Thursday, October 2, for judgment in the suit challenging the removal of members of the Rivers State Local Government Service Commission, PulseNets has learnt.

The case was instituted by Reverend Goodlife Iduoku Ben, Amadi Christian Echele, Chimenem Wisdom Jerome, and three others, who obtained their appointments into the Commission from Governor Siminalayi Fubara before they were later dismissed by the then Sole Administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas.

The aggrieved officials told PulseNets that their sack was unlawful, insisting that their appointm

ents had been duly confirmed by the Rivers State House of Assembly before the governor formally issued their letters.

In their sworn affidavit, the claimants stressed that “the Sole Administrator never had the constitutional authority to suspend us or appoint a new Chairman and members of the Local Government Service Commission.”

PulseNets reported that during earlier proceedings, the trial judge, Justice Frank Onyiri, restrained Ibas from inaugurating another team of Commission members, while also ordering that the status quo remain in place until the substantive matter was decided.

Also Read: Rivers PDP Deny Rumours of Governor Fubara’s Alleged Plan to Join APC

On Monday, Justice Onyiri announced that judgment delivery would be shifted, explaining that he required more time before making a pronouncement.

The defendants in the case include Ibas, the Rivers State government, the Accountant-General of the state, two commercial banks, and several others connected to the matter.