A Federal High Court, Abuja has dismissed the objection raised by the National Judicial Council, NJC, against the hearing of a suit instituted by a dismissed Judge, Rita Ajumogobia, to challenge her 9 dismissal.
The NJC had in 2018 dismissed Justice Ajumogobia as a Judge of the Federal High Court from the service of the Federal Judicial Service Commission, FJSC, on ground of gross judicial misconduct.
Justice Ajumogobia went to instituted an action at the Federal High Court, Abuja challenging the process adopted by the fact finding committee of the NJC that led to her dismissal asking the court to declare as unconstitutional the report of the fact finding committee that recommended her dismissal.
However, the NJC and other defendant’s in the matter filed separate preliminary objections against the hearing of the suit on the ground that the Federal High Court has no jurisdiction to entertain such matter being a labour related matter involving an employment.
The defendants, while denying the claim of the denial of fair hearing by the judge, further contended that the case was statute-barred having not been instituted within three months as required by the Public Officers Protection Act.
Justice Ajumogobia in her counter affidavit had prayed Justice Inyang Ekwo to dismiss the objection to her suit on the ground that she was challenging constitutionality of her dismissal.
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In his ruling, Justice Ekwo dismissed all the objections on the ground that they were misplaced and that the claim of the plaintiff misconstrued.
The Judge held that Justice Ajumogobia raised constitutional issues bordering on denial of fair hearing in the manner she was dismissed.
Justice Ekwo further held that the case of the plaintiff did not fall under the provision of the Public Officers Protection Act as claimed by the NJC and as such, was not statute bar.
The judge therefore held that the plaintiff claim, being a constitutional matter can only be heard by a Federal High Court and not a National Industrial Court as canvassed by the NJC.
The matter has been adjourned to April 5 for hearing .
Edited by Tunde Orebiyi.
