Appointment of New AGF: Industrial Court intervenes

The Industrial Court of Nigeria sitting in Abuja, has slated February 26, 2025, for ruling on an interlocutory injunction brought before it by the legal representatives of Mr Joshua Luka, to stop the process of appointing a new Accountant General of the Federation until the determination of the substantive suit.

Justice Rekiya Haastrup, of the Industrial Court gave the date after listening to the injunction brought before her by Ibrahim Angulu, SAN, acting on behalf of his client, Joshua Kadmi Luka, who claimed he was unjustifiably excluded from taking part in the selection process, based on an unsubstantiated allegation which had not been decided by any court.

Angulu, SAN, argued that “constitutionality, it is the Civil Service Commission and not the Head of Service, HOS, that should supervise the conduct of the selection process, saying the action of the defendant are unconstitutional.

“It is also our contention that a mere allegation of crime without conviction, cannot be used to exclude the claimant.

“The law is very clear, he has not been found guilty, so because of a mere allegation he is excluded. Also in an earlier occasion, he was accused of fraud, when he applied for permanent secretary he was excluded, but not charged to court.

“Anything done without fair hearing is a nullity. We want your lordship to grant an order of Interlocutory injunction to stop what is going on. Also because we are challenging who has the power to supervise the process.”

He argued further that while it was an incontestable fact that the appointment of the Accountant General laid within the purview of Presidential powers, the process laid with the Civil Service Commission and not the office of the Head of Service.

In the originating summon, a copy seen by Vanguard, the claimant is asking the court for, among others, “ A Declaration and /Or Order of Court that the process of selection of the Accountant General begun by the Head of Service of the Federation is null and void as she has acted in contravention of the constitution and in excess of her powers.

“An Order of Court that under the principles of the presumption of innocence the Applicant cannot be excluded from the process of selection of Accountant General on a criminal allegations until he is convicted by a competent Court of law.

“An Order of Court allowing the Applicant to participate in the process of selection of Accountant General of the Federation.”

“An Order of Court that the process of exclusion of the Applicant from participating in the selection process for Accountant General on an allegation without hearing was an infringement of his rights to fair hearing and therefore null and void.”

Also in an earlier letter to the Office of the Head of Service, the legal representative wrote that any time “our client attempts to participate in the process of selection for Permanent Secretaries or Accountant General of the Federation, his name is always excluded just as in this current exercise for Accountant General of the Federation.

“It is crystal clear that allegations are only made up against our Client at the time for the exercise for appointments.

‘’Be that as it may, a mere allegation should not exclude our client from this exercise, as he has not been found guilty by a competent Court of Law for a criminal offence, neither the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, or the Head of Service can convict him and punish him for these criminal offences and since he has not been convicted of any criminal offence, he is entitled to the presumption of innocence as enshrined in Section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999.

“To exclude him at this stage from participating in this exercise will amount to punishing him for a criminal offence which he has not been found guilty.’’