A Kogi State High Court sitting in Okene has frowned at the refusal of the police to execute the warrant of arrest placed on the Head of Service, Accountant-General and the Attorney-General and commissioner for justice for failing to appear before it in the case of 346 sacked workers.
The workers had in 2009 dragged the state government to court after they were sacked by the Sally Tibot screening committee set up by the state government.
The court on May 14, 2012, ordered the state government to immediately reinstate the 346 civil servants, who according to it were illegally sacked, but the government refused to obey the order, it was gathered.
The court, in April this year then issued a warrant of arrest on the trio for their refusal to appear before it, but the police did not comply with the order after several adjournments.
At the resumed hearing yesterday, the defendants wrote a letter to the court, urging it to adjourn the case indefinitely.
But counsel to the sacked workers, Barrister John Barry, told the court that the police are yet to execute the bench warrant placed on the public officers, and that the attitude of the defendants is a slight on the integrity of the court.
“On the 18th of July, I was at the office of the Accountant General and met him. I called the OC Legal to effect the order but he bluntly refused. Democracy can only thrive when the rule of law is strictly adhered to. I urge the court to give a short adjournment to enable me write a complaint letter to the state commissioner of police and other stakeholders,” he said.
He urged the court to reject the letter earlier written to the court by the defendants seeking indefinite adjournment.
In his ruling, Justice Sunday Otu, said it is the duty of the court to give order while the police is expected to execute it.
