The federal government has been dragged before a Federal High Court in Abuja over the appointment of the Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Managing Director of the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The plaintiff, a lawyer, Mr. Maduakolam Igwe, in the suit monday, argued that the appointments of the two chief executive officers (CEOs) of both government agencies did not pass through the screening and confirmation by the Senate and therefore are unlawful.
Igwe listed the defendants in the matter to include the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
Others are the Chairman of FIRS; Mr. Babtunde William Fowler, Managing Director of AMCON, Mr. Ahmed Lawan Kuru, and three other executive director’s, namely: Lola Ayeye, Eberechukwu Uneze and Aminu Ismaila.
The plaintiff, in his writ of summons, is asking the court to declare that the appointments made by Buhari, without the confirmation by the Senate pursuant to Section 3(2)(a) and 11(a) of the FIRS Act 2007, as illegal and null and void.
He also asked the court to declare that the newly appointed CEOs cannot exercise the functions and duties of their respective offices without the confirmation of his appointment by the Senate.
Igwe asked the court to set aside their appointments made by the president because they are illegal.
He said in the affidavit in support of the suit “that I know as a fact that the defendants appointments is subjected to the confirmation of the senate before they can assume duties
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the matter.
