A High Court sitting in Markudi Benue Sate has restrained the outgoing Governor of the State, Gabriel Suswam from appointing First Class Chiefs in the State.The Court equally ordered eight others to desist from taking any action on the implementations of the Benue State Council of Chiefs and Traditional Councils Bill recently passed by the state assembly pending the determination of motion on notice.
This followed a motion filed by Tony Ijoho (SAN), Counsel to the Plaintiff Mr Benjamin Adanyi, praying the Court to restrain governor Suswam and any other person from appointing or taking any step towards the appointment of any person to the ten proposed First Class Chiefs in Benue or such office as the contents of the law were not properly or validly passed.
The Court presided by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Iorhemen Hwande granted all the reliefs prayed by the Plaintiff.
It will be recalled that the Benue State House of Assembly has passed a law on Benue State Council Chiefs and Traditional Council on the 7th April, 2015 which empowered the state government to appoint the First Class Chiefs earlier proposed by the outgoing government since 2012. Governor Gabriel Suswam and the Governor Elect, Chief Samuel Ortom has clashed over the decision by the outgoing governor to appoint the chiefs before handover.
[divider]