5th May, 2015
The Benue State Chief Judge, Justice Iorhemen Hwande, has restrained Governor Gabriel Suswam from appointing first class chiefs in the state.
Mr Benjamin Adanyi has dragged Suswam and eight others to court challenging the passage of Benue State Council of Chiefs and Traditional Councils Bill/Law by the Benue House of Assembly on April 7, 2015.
Joined in the matter were Tor Tiv, the Och’Idoma, the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs as well as the Benue House of Assembly.
Moving the motion on behalf of the applicant, Barr. T D Pepe had informed the court that the respondents had put machinery in place to implement the contents of a law that had not been properly or validly passed.
Pepe prayed the court to stop the respondents from appointing any person to the office of the 10 proposed first class chiefs in Benue pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice in the case.
Delivering ruling, the Chief Judge ordered the respondents not to give effect to the Bill until the determination of the motion on notice.
He also restrained the respondents or their agents from appointing or taking any step toward the appointment of any person to the office of the 10 proposed 1st class chiefs in Benue.
Hwande warned the respondents that disobedience of the court orders would amount to contempt of court.
He, therefore, directed that action on the implementation of the said law be stayed pending the hearing of the motion on notice on May 11.