Auditor-General, Adeyeye Floors Kwara Govt In Court
…Orders Payment of 21 months Salary, Retirement Entitlements
The National Industrial Court sitting in Akure, Ondo State has declared the sack of Kwara State Auditor General, Mr. Omoniyi Adeyeye by government as illegal and void.
Adeyeye had in a suit No. NICN/IL/01/2022 dragged the Governor of Kwara State, Hon. Saheed Popoola; the then Chairman, Public Accounts Committee of the State House of Assembly, Kwara State Civil Service Commission and Mrs Susan Oluwole, the State Head of Service to court asking that his removal from office as Auditor General of Kwara State was wrong.
In his 36-paragraph statement of claims/facts before the the Auditor General was asking the Industrial Court to declare that in the discharge of his duties, he did not commit any act of misconduct.
He among his eight claims before the court wanted a declaration that his purported removal from office of the Auditor General of Kwara State was in breach of Section 127 (1) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and in consequence null, void and of no effect.
Adeyeye also among others demanded an order that as against his removal from office on 28th January, 2022, he remains the Auditor General of Kwara State withour a loss of his full salary, emoluments, privileges and entitlements.
Adeyeye prayed for a declaration that the Kwara State Public Audit (Re-Enactment) Law, 2021 is null and void for being inconsistent with Section 127 (2) of the Consititution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
Delivering his judgement on Thursday on the suit, Hon Justice K.D Damulak declared that the removal of Omoniyi Adeyeye as the Auditor General of Kwara State was illegal, null, void and of no effect.
He ordered that Mr. Omoniyi Adeyeye remains the Auditor General of Kwara State until 26th September, 2023 when he clocked the retirement age of 60 adding that his salaries from 28th January, 2022 up to that date be paid alongside all accruing entitlements within one month.