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Industrial Court Fines CBN ₦620,000 For Delaying Ex-Staff Lawsuits.

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According to Nivo News, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) in Abuja has imposed a ₦620,000 fine on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for causing unnecessary delays in proceedings involving 62 former staff members contesting their termination.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Justice Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osaghae issued the ruling after counsel for the ex-employees, Ola Olanipekun (SAN), argued that the bank’s late filing of a fresh application forced an adjournment in a matter already scheduled for hearing.

The former staffers, who filed separate lawsuits now consolidated before the court, are challenging termination letters dated May 23, 2024, issued under the guise of “Re-Organisation.” They claim the dismissals violated the CBN Act 2007 and the bank’s internal human resource policies, rendering the actions unlawful.

The claimants are seeking reinstatement to their previous or equivalent positions, payment of all outstanding salaries and entitlements, and an order nullifying the terminations entirely. Their counsel has also requested consolidation of the multiple suits.

The case has previously faced procedural complications. In 2024, the President of the NICN, Justice Benedict Kanyip, recused himself after discovering a conflict of interest involving one of the CBN’s lawyers. Many of the disengaged employees were involved in establishing the CBN’s now-defunct Economic Intelligence Unit and allege they were unfairly targeted despite significant contributions, including investigations into the P&ID $11 billion arbitration, recovery of ₦3.18 billion misappropriated by a bank agent, and probes into unauthorized foreign exchange repatriations.

During Thursday’s proceedings, Olanipekun told the court that the matter was ready to proceed when CBN filed a new motion on November 26 seeking to convert the originating summons into a writ of summons, claiming factual disputes. Olanipekun argued the motion was an intentional delay and requested a cost of ₦10,000 per claimant, totaling ₦620,000.

CBN’s counsel, Wilson Inam (SAN), acknowledged filing the motion late but maintained it was necessary due to factual disputes. Justice Obaseki-Osaghae sided with the ex-employees, ruling that the bank’s action disrupted the scheduled hearing and awarding the ₦620,000 fine to be paid before the next sitting. The case has been adjourned to January 12, 2026, for the hearing of pending applications.

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Pay Up Or Lose Out! Tinubu Issues Stark Warning To Nigerians On Taxes.

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  • Infrastructure as a Priority: President Bola Tinubu, represented by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, emphasized that infrastructure is the essential foundation of his administration’s goal of fostering national prosperity.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

    • Significance of the New Interchange: During the commissioning of the Arterial Road N16–Ring Road III Intersection connecting Jahi and Gwarimpa, the President described the project as a move toward “freedom of movement” that eliminates chronic traffic gridlock and saves time, fuel, and economic resources.

    • Broad Benefits: The President noted that this connection will improve security by removing the congestion that previously hindered movement, while also helping workers return home faster.

    • Renewed Hope Agenda: Framing roads as the “arteries of a nation,” the President explained that his administration’s agenda focuses on building critical infrastructure to unlock economic potential and allow Nigerians to thrive.

    • National Outlook: Asserting that Nigeria is “not beyond redemption,” the President pointed to the successful completion of the Jahi-Gwarimpa interchange as evidence that focused leadership and political will can deliver results.

    • Call for Tax Compliance: Finally, the President urged all Nigerians and FCT residents to diligently pay their taxes and levies, noting that these contributions are vital for the government to undertake further development projects.

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INEC Takes Action: Staff Members Involved In Emeka Ike’s Voter Data Leak Suspended.

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  • Staff Suspension: INEC has suspended an electoral officer suspected of being involved in the unauthorized release of voter information.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

    • Context of the Breach: The issue emerged after voter registration details for actor and politician Emeka Ike were circulated publicly during a dispute related to a political party primary in the Federal Capital Territory.

    • Infrastructure Integrity: Preliminary investigations conducted by the commission concluded that there was no hack of its ICT infrastructure, nor was there a broader breach of the national voter register.

    • Method of Access: The data was reportedly accessed through authorized credentials held by a staff member participating in the Continuous Voter Registration process.

    • Status of Investigations: INEC confirmed that the involved officer was immediately suspended and removed from their duties pending the conclusion of further investigations.

    • Collaboration with Authorities: INEC has finished its internal probe and referred the case to the police, the Department of State Services (DSS), and data protection regulators.

    • Limited Impact: The commission emphasized that the incident was isolated to a single voter record and did not compromise the data of its more than 90 million registered voters.

    • Commitment to Security: Moving forward, INEC intends to enhance its data protection protocols and collaborate with security agencies, civil society organizations, and regulators to ensure the safety of citizens’ personal information.

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Deregistration Drama: Courtroom Showdown Over ADC And Accord Party Hits A New Delay!.

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  • Case Adjournment: The Court of Appeal in Abuja has postponed the hearing of an appeal regarding the potential deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party, and three other political parties until July 7.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

    • Procedural Delay: The court moved the hearing date from June 25 to allow the involved parties sufficient time to file and exchange their briefs of argument.

    • Reasoning for New Date: Although Accord Party counsel, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), requested a three-day window to file, Justice Abubakar Mohammed explained that the panel’s upcoming official commitments necessitated selecting July 7 as the earliest available date.

    • Background of the Dispute: The appeal follows a Federal High Court ruling by Justice Peter Lifu, which ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC, Accord Party, Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) for allegedly failing to meet constitutional performance benchmarks.

    • INEC’s Position: INEC has challenged this deregistration order, arguing that these parties met the necessary constitutional thresholds by securing elective positions in previous elections and providing certificates of return as evidence.

    • Stay of Execution: On June 16, the Court of Appeal previously ordered a stay of execution on the Federal High Court’s judgment, preventing INEC from proceeding with the deregistration until the current appeal is decided.

    • Procedural Criticism: The appellate court had previously criticized Justice Lifu for ignoring an earlier order to suspend proceedings, noting that such an action undermined the established hierarchy of the courts.

    • Origin of the Suit: The original legal challenge was filed by the National Forum of Former Legislators, who argued that these specific parties failed to meet the electoral performance standards required by the 1999 Constitution and the 2022 Electoral Act.

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