Festus Keyamo, the chief spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), asserted that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court lacks jurisdiction over federal agencies with regard to the discharge of their statutory or constitutional duties.
On Monday night, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment tweeted this information.
The court cannot issue any injunctive orders to prohibit the discharge of a statutory duty, the APC PCC spokeswoman noted.
For the record, he stated that the FCT High Court does not have any jurisdiction over federal agencies with regard to the discharge of their statutory or constitutional duties, and that it is also unable to issue any injunctive orders to do so.
Hours after the Federal Capital Territory High Court barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from delaying the phase-out of the old naira notes, Keyamo made this statement.
Justice Eleojo Enenche ruled in a case with the case number FCT/HC/CV/2234/2023 on Monday, ordering the apex bank to proceed with the full execution of the naira redesign strategy.
The presiding court further prohibited 27 commercial banks and President Muhammadu Buhari from tampering with the deadline or giving any directives that were in conflict with it while the lawsuit was still being decided.
The presiding court further prohibited 27 commercial banks and President Muhammadu Buhari from tampering with the deadline or giving any directives that were in conflict with it while the lawsuit was still being decided.
According to the judge, “an order of interim injunction is hereby made prohibiting the defendants, whether by themselves, staff, agents, officers, interfacing banks or whomsoever, from suspending, stopping, extending, varying or interfering with the existing termination date of use of the old N200, N500, and N1000 bank note being the 10th day of February 2023, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”
In addition, the judge issued an order of temporary restraining order “directing and mandating the defendants to comply with, implement, and give effect to the currency redesign and restructuring of the old N200, N500, and N1000 bank note on or before the last day of 10th of February, 2023, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice” (emphasis added).
The court further ordered “to forthwith show cause as to why they shall not be arrested and prosecuted for the economic and financial sabotage of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by their illegal act of hoarding, withholding, nor paying or disbursing the new N200, N500, and N1000 bank note, being the legal tender of the federal republic of Nigeria to their respective customers, despite suppli
