FG heads for Supreme Court over Iweala, Adeniji

Lanre Adewole, Abuja - 25.12.2007

The Federal Government has asked the Supreme Court to set aside the decision of the Court of Appeal which ordered a refund of N215 million by two former ministers in the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

This was made known on Monday in Abuja by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Chief Michael Aondoakaa (SAN).

The sum represented an excess in the salaries paid former Finance Minister, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala and her Foreign Affairs counterpart, Chief Olufemi Adeniji, while in office.

The Court of Appeal had held, in a judgment delivered on July 20, 2007, that paying the former ministers salaries in dollars was illegal and ordered a refund of the excess.

Aondoakaa said he had ordered that the judgment be appealed at the Supreme Court because he was convinced that the Federal Government had a good case.

Government is premising its appeal at the apex court on the argument that the plaintiff in the matter, Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN), had no locus standi to institute the action.

Fawehinmi had challenged the payment of the salaries of the two former ministers in dollars at the Federal High Court in Abuja. He lost on locus standi ground and appealed.