Bomba Dauda
Justice S.O Adeniyi of the National Industrial Court sitting in Kaduna has set aside 16 April, 2021 for judgement in the case between Abubakar Mustapha and 70 other retired Permanent Secretaries and Head of Service over the deduction of their pension by Gov. Nasiru El-Rufai of Kaduna State.
In his argument, Counsel to the claimants, Barr. Sam Atung, said, pension rights are constitutional and statutory.
Adding that, They are in court to challenge the powers of the Kaduna State Government to review the pension of the claimants to their detriment.
Our argument before the Court is that by virtue of the provision of Section 210 of the 1999 Constitution as amended. The Kaduna State Government lacks the vires to review the pensioners pension (downward) to their detriment.
We also argued that the plaintiffs upon retirement enjoyed 100 percent of their last salary as pension, that has crystallized into a vested right and the Kaduna State Government cannot take such a vested right reetrogressively by way of mere circular.
For the record, Before the hearing, Adamu Makadi (one of the claimants) was appointed by the Kaduna State Government and had his name stroke out.
