The National Industrial Court on Tuesday stopped Trustfund Pension from appointing a new managing director pending the determination of a suit filed by a former Managing Director who is challenging his removal from office.
Justice A.O. Shogbola made the order following the argument of lawyer to the plaintiff, Bernard Nkem Ekwe that the pension firm was taking steps to appoint a new MD despite the fact that he is in court to challenge his removal.
Mr Ekwe had filed the suit at the Industrial Court claiming that he was unlawfully removed from office as managing director.
He asked the court to declare that he remained in office as managing director of the pension firm and entitled to be paid all wages, emoluments and other entitlements.
Trustfund has filed a preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the case.
But before arguments could be taken on the objection, the court ordered the parties to maintain the status quo that is the plaintiff should not appoint a new MD until Mr Ekwe’s case had been determined.
However, dissatisfied with the court’s ruling, Trustfund filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal in Abuja asking the appellate court to set aside the lower court’s order stopping the firm from appointing a new MD.
In the appeal filed by Festus Keyamo, he said that the order stopping the firm from appointing new MD was given without jurisdiction.
He said that a challenge of the court’s jurisdiction robbed the court of the jurisdiction to hear any other application until the jurisdiction to hear the substantive suit was determined.
