The Rivers State High Court, sitting in Port Harcourt, has terminated a legal action initiated by members of the Local Government Service Commission after the claimants voluntarily decided to pull back their suit.
The case was brought forward by the Commission’s Chairman, Goodlife Ben, and five other members. They were contesting their earlier dismissal by the former Sole Administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas.
Having been previously appointed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the group sought a court declaration that their removal was invalid and demanded to be reinstated to their positions.
However, during the court proceedings on Thursday, their representative, Kelechi Ubani, informed the court that his clients had chosen to discontinue the matter.
Ubani characterised the withdrawal as a “difficult yet essential choice,” explaining to the court that the move was made with the peace and advancement of Rivers State in mind.
The legal team for the defence pressed Justice Frank Onyiri to issue an outright dismissal of the case instead of merely striking it out.
Justice Onyiri, however, rejected this argument as unfounded, referencing the court’s Order 25, Rule 1, which permits the withdrawal of civil cases.
The Judge subsequently struck out the suit without imposing any penalties or costs, commending the claimants’ decision to withdraw as a praiseworthy effort toward fostering reconciliation.
Also see: Court Dismisses Suit Against Tinubu Over Rivers Emergency Rule
This comes hours after Governor Siminalayi Fubara terminated the appointments of all commissioners and other senior government officials in his administration.
The dismissal was announced on Wednesday evening in a statement released by his Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chukwudi, in Port Harcourt, and took effect immediately.
Fubara stated that this sweeping decision was prompted by the recent Supreme Court verdict.
