A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has scheduled the 14th of July, 2025, for the hearing of a suit brought by the Chairman and members of the Rivers State Services Commission.
The officials, appointed by suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, are contesting their removal from office.
The dismissal, carried out by the state’s Sole Administrator, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, is at the heart of the legal dispute. Other defendants in the case include the Rivers State Government, the state’s Accountant General, Access Bank, Zenith Bank, and eleven additional respondents.
The case, originally set for adoption of final written addresses, came up on Thursday. At the session, legal representatives of Access Bank and Zenith Bank requested more time to submit their documents.
The application faced no opposition from other parties involved.
Justice Frank Onyiri, who is presiding over the matter, granted the application and adjourned proceedings to July 14 for hearing and potential adoption of all filed processes.
The claimants Rev. Goodlife Iduoku Ben, Amadi Christian Echele, Chimenim Wisdom Jerome, and three others have described their removal as an “illegal sack by the sole administrator.”
They maintain they were properly nominated, screened, and confirmed by the Rivers State House of Assembly.
According to them, official records exist with the Clerk of the House, which led to their formal appointments by the governor.
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In a sworn affidavit, the suspended chairman, Ben, insisted the sole administrator lacked any legal power to terminate their appointments or install new members into the commission.
In its defence, the legal team led by Professor Ajayi has raised a preliminary objection.
They argue that the state High Court lacks jurisdiction, citing the Emergency Powers Act of 1961 and the Emergency Powers (Jurisdiction) Act of 1962, which, according to them, vest authority for such matters solely in the Federal Supreme Court.
The defence insists those laws validate the administrator’s actions, including the suspension and replacement of the commission members.
But countering this, lead counsel to the claimants, Mustapha Abraham, SAN, argued that the referenced Acts are obsolete.
He cited the 1999 Constitution and the Laws of the Federation, 2004, which mark the laws as no longer valid.