Seven bank accounts belonging to the Adamawa State Government were frozen by the National Industrial Court in Gombe because the government didn’t follow a court order to pay its debts. The case was heard by Judge Hon. Justice J.T Agbadu Fishim in Gombe.
The motion No: NICN/YL/OM3/2024 was between Mathias Yohanna and others who were owed money by the government and the Adamawa State Government and Attorney General as the debtors.
The frozen accounts were held in Zenith Bank, First Bank of Nigeria Ltd, Fidelity Bank Plc, and United Bank of Africa.
Judge J.T Agbadu ordered the freeze on February 14, 2024, based on a motion filed on February 19, 2024, according to section 83(1) of the sheriff and civil process Act cap 407 LFN,2024. The frozen accounts included those of Adamawa State board of internal revenue, ministry of justice, executive account, and others.
The court ordered the banks not to allow the government or anyone else to withdraw or transfer funds from these frozen accounts until the debt was settled.
The total judgment debt was twelve million, ninety-seven thousand, two hundred and sixty-three naira and forty kobo (N12,097,263.40).
Mathias Yohanna, who was the Chief Press Secretary under Senator Muhammadu Umaru Jibrilla Bindow’s government, took the Adamawa State Government to court because he hadn’t been paid his severance, gratuity, and furniture allowances.
The lawyer representing the creditors, Barrister Bala Sanga, who also served as the former Attorney of Adamawa State during the previous government, criticized the current administration led by Rt Hon Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri for not honoring agreements made with past political appointees.
He mentioned that many past political appointees, including Mathias, had agreements with the current administration to pay their allowances monthly through the state’s Attorney, Mr. Jingi Afraimu, but the government failed to fulfill this agreement.
He believed that if these agreements were honored, the government wouldn’t be facing the situation of having its accounts frozen.
