Court strikes out Omo-Agege’s contempt suit against Saraki

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, Abuja, yesterday, struck out the suit seeking to commit Senate President Bukola Saraki to prison for allegedly refusing to pay salaries and allowances of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege.

The action followed the confirmation that the entitlements of the Delta Central representative had been offset by the upper chamber of the National Assembly.

Counsel to Omo-Agege, Dr. Alex Izinyon (SAN), who confirmed the development, subsequently applied for the withdrawal of the contempt.

Responding, counsel to Saraki, Efut Okoi, said his client, as a law-abiding citizen, effected the payment in compliance with the order of the court.

Without opposing the application for withdrawal of the contempt charge, he urged others to emulate the gesture.

Justice Dimgba accordingly struck out the motion dated August 15, 2018.

Omo-Agege had initiated the committal proceedings against Saraki for allegedly flouting the May 10 judgment of the court which voided his 90-day suspension.

The court had also ordered his immediate reinstatement as well as payment of all his accrued benefits for the period.

Also yesterday, the chamber confirmed the appointment of a Kaduna indigene, Abdulmalik Durunguwa, as commissioner in the National Population Commission (NPC).

The confirmation was on the strength of a report by its Committee on National Identity Card and National Population Commission led Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi.

It also passed into third reading the bill seeking for the establishment of University of Science and Technology in Abuja.

Senator Philip Tanimu Aduda sponsored the bill while the Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND, chaired by Jibrin Barau, approved.

The passage comes 17 months after the resolution of the Federal Executive Council on the issue. It had sanctioned the institution on May 15, 2107.