Absence of judge stalls hearing in Sanusi’s suit against FG

The absence of Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja on Wednesday stalled hearing in the suit filed by the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.
Sanusi had, through his lead counsel, Kola Awodein (SAN), challenged his suspension by President Goodluck Jonathan and prayed for an order to re-instate him as the CBN governor.
At the hearing of the case on Wednesday, Justice Kolawole was not in court and an official informed the parties and counsel that the judge was attending a seminar.
All parties and counsel were asked to come back to court on March 19.
It will be recalled that on February 27, Kolawole ruled in Sanusi’s motion ex-parte seeking an interlocutory injunction from the court for a reversal of the President’s decision.
He said: “I feel hesitant and constrained to grant the plaintiff’s application because it would be unfair to grant such an application without affording the respondents a hearing.
“It is unsafe, judicially speaking, to embark on far-reaching interim orders, which have all the attributes of a mandatory injunction without according the defendants a hearing.”
Sanusi had on February 24 approached the court with a motion ex-parte seeking an interim order against the President, the Attorney-General of the Federation and their agents.
He had prayed the court to restrain the defendants from “obstructing, disturbing, stopping or preventing him in any manner whatsoever, from performing the functions as Governor of the Central Bank”.
Sanusi had also sought to be allowed to fully enjoy the statutory powers and privileges attached to the office, arguing that any delay might cause him irreparable and serious damages.
The plaintiff’s motion was supported by a nine-paragraph affidavit and two exhibits attached and marked as Exhibit AA1 and AA2.
Exhibit AA1 is a copy of his appointment letter dated June 2009, titled: “Appointment as Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria”.
Exhibit AA2 is his suspension letter dated February 19, 2014 from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, titled: “Suspension from office,” which is the subject of the suit.