High Court, sitting in Zaria, on Wednesday ordered the Kaduna State Government to reinstate all the dethroned 77 District Heads, pending the determination of a case filed by them.
Delivering a ruling, Justice Kabir Dabo, held that the governor had no constitutional rights to temper with judicial matters pending in a court of law.
Dabo adjourned the matter untill Jan. 16, 2019 for the continuation of hearing..
NAN reports that on June 13, 2017, the Kaduna State government sacked 4776 district and village heads as well as their staff as it began the implementation of the recommendations of the committee it set up to review the number of such personnel in the state.
According to the government, the essence of the sack is to shore up the finances of local government councils in the state.
He lamented that in spite of the served notice ordering that the issue of “district heads sack” was before the court, but the governor went ahead to dethrone the 77 district heads.
The judge described the action of the governor as a disrespect for court order which contravened section 6(6) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999.
He said the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria recognised three arms of government; the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary.
Dabo said each of arms of government has its constitutional role that should not be tempered with by any other arm, adding; “there is need for the governor to respect a court order”.
He ordered that both parties maintain status-quo pending the determination of the case and adjourned the case to Jan. 16, 2019 for the continuation of hearing.