The National Industrial Court, Abuja, on Tuesday ordered Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi to pay N23.5 million to its 19 ex-political office holders, being their unpaid severance benefits.
The claimants had approached the court to seek redress when their benefits as former political office holders in the council were stopped and every effort to get payment since 2014, failed.
In her judgment, Justice Rakiya Haastrup, held that evidence before the court showed that the defendant acknowledged indebtedness to the claimants, and had made some payments to them.
Haastrup also said the claimants’ letter demanding N54.2 million as total sum due to them, with schedule of payment attached was another evidence of the indebtedness of the defendant to the claimants.
The judge added that evidence showed that the defendant paid N21.6 million, leaving the balance of N32.5 million and a letter of instruction to Zenith Bank to commence monthly payment of N1million to the claimants.
She said the payment which was stopped in March, 2014, left the balance of N23.5 million, adding that it was another proof of evidence.
She, therefore, ordered the payment of N23.5 million being the outstanding allowances to the claimants and awarded the sum of N100, 000 against the defendants as cost of prosecuting the suit.
Mr Yakubu Shaibu, the claimants’ counsel, told the court that his clients were political office holders in various capacities from 2008 to 2011 in Adavi Local Government Council of Kogi.
He said that the officials were duly elected into offices in elections conducted by Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission.
Shaibu also said his clients were entitled to be paid their severance allowances and other benefits upon leaving office, as directed by Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and approved by Kogi House of Assembly.
(NAN)
