A student has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to make an interim injunction withholding the monthly allocation to the presidency, ministries, and governors until the resolution of the ongoing industrial action by university lecturers.
Soohemba Agatha Aker, who is an undergraduate and president of the Student Union Government (SUG) of the Benue State University (BSU), brought the action on behalf of students affected by the prolonged industrial action.
In the suit brought by her counsel, Chukwuma Machukwu-Ume (SAN) on September 21, 2022, Aker also demanded the suspension of salaries and allowances for all permanent secretaries, all heads of parastatals & extra ministerial bodies, all vice-chancellors of striking universities.
She also demanded the withholding of the salaries and allowances of all the members of the Senate of striking universities, and salaries and allowances of all members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) pending the hearing and determination of the originating motion.
She said, “While the applicant and thousands of her peers all over the federation are roaming the streets in frustration, the Respondents and their members continue to receive their monthly salaries, wages, allowances, allocation, etc unperturbed.
“It is common knowledge that the majority of the children of the upper class in the society, including the children of the politicians and top government officials in Nigeria, only attend private schools or study abroad.”
She, therefore, asked the court to suspend the activities of the President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Attorney General of Abia State and 35 other states of the federation, and the vice chancellor of the University of Abuja.
No date has been set for the hearing.
