It is understood that the former officials filed a lawsuit to demand payment of their severance payments, which they said were authorized in their letters of appointment but went unpaid after their employment terminated.
After the National Industrial Court in Makurdi rendered a summary judgment in favor of the claimants on December 13, 2024, their attorney, Barrister Ocha Ulegede, started the garnishee proceedings.
The state government allegedly refused to transfer the cash in spite of the ruling, which led to the legal enforcement procedure.
Tahav Agerzua, one of the beneficiaries, lauded the decision and called it “overdue justice” in a statement made soon after the court session.
“Justice has been done well. We appealed to the appropriate authorities on multiple occasions. According to reports, the Ministry of Finance approved funding towards the conclusion of the Ortom administration, and many beneficiaries had already been paid. “Those of us who were excluded merely wanted justice,” he remarked.
According to Agerzua, the group didn’t take legal action until all internal attempts had failed.
The garnishee order was received by Fidelity Bank, but as of the time of publication, the payment had not been made. According to court authorities, they are keeping an eye on the issue as instructed by the judge.
