Kogi Loses Appeal: Court Orders Payment of N1.07bn to Ex-Deputy Governor

By Ahmed Muhammed Danasabe

Lokoja, Kogi State, Nigeria - August 22, 2025(Series News Online)

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has ordered the Kogi State government to pay Simon Achuba, a former deputy governor of the state, N1.07 billion in outstanding salaries and allowances. The court affirmed its earlier position as the final arbiter to hear and determine all labour matters and held that the Kogi State government cannot appeal the matter further to the Supreme Court.

The court's decision was in response to an application by the Governor of Kogi State and the State Attorney-General seeking to halt the enforcement of earlier Court of Appeal decisions in favour of Achuba. The applicants also sought to take the matter further to the Supreme Court, but the appellate court held that the Constitution does not permit such appeals.

Delivering the lead ruling, Justice Okon Abang dismissed the application, describing it as baseless, unmeritorious, and reckless. He said, "The applicants cannot treat the Constitution of this great country with contempt and levity. If the government treats Court Orders with levity and contempt, the confidence of the citizen in the Courts will be seriously eroded and the effect of that will be the beginning of anarchy in place of the Rule of Law."

The case started in 2019, when Achuba was impeached as Deputy Governor of Kogi State, and he approached the National Industrial Court (NICN) seeking his unpaid salaries, travel allowances, and statutory entitlements. The NICN ruled in his favour on November 4, 2020, ordering the Kogi State Government to pay him. The state appealed, but the Court of Appeal affirmed Achuba's rights on April 29, 2024, and quantified his entitlements at N1,070,860,138.00 on April 25, 2025.

The Court of Appeal's ruling not only resolved the long-running dispute between the Kogi State Government and its former Deputy Governor but also underscores the judiciary's role in upholding the rule of law. The court accused the Kogi State government of trying to enthrone the rule of might over the rule of law.

The court's decision is final, and the Kogi State government is expected to comply with the order to pay Achuba the outstanding salaries and allowances.