National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Kano has refused separate ex parte applications sought to restrain the Kano State Executive Council from retrieving official vehicles from former commissioners who resigned from the cabinet.
 
The ex-commissioners urged the court to grant an interim injunction restraining the government pending hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
 
In their respective action, the claimants listed the Attorney General of Kano State, the governor, and the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission as defendants.
 
The plaintiffs, represented by Suraj Sa’ed (SAN), and five other lawyers, applied to restrain the state government from retrieving official vehicles allocated to them while in office. They insisted that the ex parte motion was in pursuant to Order 17 Rule 1 of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2017.
 
The applicants are former Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Yusuf Ibrahim K/Mata; former Commissioner for Internal Security, AVM Ibrahim Umar (rtd); former Commissioner for Special Duties, Nasir Sule Garo; former Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Adamu Aliyu Kibiya; and erstwhile Commissioner for Youth, Mustapha Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso.
 
In the process filed before the court, the claimants contended that upon their appointments into the Kano State Executive Council, they were allocated official vehicles as part of their conditions of service.

They argued that, by convention and in line with the determination of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, commissioners are entitled to retain such vehicles at the end of their tenure.
 
According to the affidavits filed in support of the applications, the former commissioners resigned their appointments in January this year.
 
The plaintiffs, therefore, urged the court to grant the applications in the interest of justice, arguing that the balance of convenience favoured them.
 
In his ruling, Justice Mahmood Abba Namtari declined to grant the interim orders sought by the plaintiffs, instead directed the claimants to put the defendants on notice.
 
He subsequently adjourned the suits to March 10 for hearing on the substantive applications.