The lawyer representing the sacked councilors in Plateau State, Gyang Zi, had said the Plateau Government was to pay the sum of N1.57 billion as severance allowance to the sacked councilors in the 17 local government areas of the state, following a court judgment which faulted their dissolution in 2015.
Meanwhile, the counsel to Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State, Garba Pwul (SAN), has debunked the claim by sacked councilors that the government is to pay them severance allowances as a result of a court judgment.
Zi had told newsmen, “By the judgment of the High Court last Friday, my clients, 271 of them, are entitled to N1.57 billion, as their severance allowance from the state government and the 17 local government councils. As we speak, we are already preparing our letter demanding the payment as their entitlements for the remaining nine months in their two-year tenure as elected representatives of their people.”
But Pwul in his reaction said Zi was only being mischievous by claiming that the sacked councilors were entitle to severance allowances because the court judgement never stipulated such.
“It is not true because after careful study of the judgement issued by the State High Court III presided by Justice David Mann, there is no mention or any order for any payment of severance,” he said, stressing that the judge had specifically said he would not make any consequential order.
Governor Lalong had on June 15, 2015 sacked the elected council officials comprising chairmen and councilors and replaced them with Interim Management Committees (IMCs). (PLSG)
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