March 30, 2022

A Federal High Court, Abuja, has shifted the judgment in a suit filed by some women groups for the Federal Government to implement the 35 per cent affirmative action.

The presiding judge, Donatus Okorowo, will deliver judgment in the matter on April 5.

Although the matter was on the cause list for the day, the court informed that the judgment was not ready.

Justice Okorowo had, on Jan. 24, fixed March 30, for the judgment.

Okorowo fixed the date after counsel to the plaintiffs, Mrs. Funmi Falana, and the lawyer to the defence, Terhemba Agbe, adopted their processes and argued their matter in the suit.

The plaintiffs, in the suit marked: FHC/ABC/CS/1006/2020, are the Incorporated Trustees of Nigerian Women Trust Fund, Women Empowerment Legal Aid, and Centre for Democracy and Development West Africa.

Others are Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, Vision Spring Initiative, and Women in Politics Forum, among others.

The groups had sued the Federal Government and the Attorney General of the Federation as defendants in the suit.

They had sought the court order, ensuring the 35 per cent affirmative action policy of the Federal Government of Nigeria as contained in Sections 42, 147 (3) and 14 (3) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, the National Gender Policy, 2006, in the governance of the country, among others.

Falana had argued that nothing could be more substantial than the the interpretation of the constitutional provisions and violation of such which her clients had alleged.

She urged the court to grant their prayers.

But Agbe said contrary to Falana’s submission, the plaintiffs’ case did not disclose any cause of action against the defendants.(NAN)