Don't Miss

FG to spend N5 billion on debts accrued from Court judgements in 2013

By David Abellegah on January 8, 2013

In the past years, the Federal Government incurred debts to the tune of N5bn from court judgements against its Ministries, Departments, and Agencies.

The Government will as a result spend a whooping sum of N5bn to upset the debts in 2013.

Investigations have revealed that the N5bn has already been captured in the 2013 Appropriation Act passed by the National Assembly.

Although the act is yet to be presented to the President who is expected to frown at the development he should be aware of.

It is not a hidden fact that on many occasions, the Federal Government and its Agencies and Ministries had been ordered by courts to pay damages and outstanding debts to plaintiffs.

Recalling some of such moments in 2010, a Maiduguri High Court sanctioned the Federal Government, Borno State Government, and the Nigeria Police Force, compelling them to pay N100m compensation to the family of the late Alhaji Baa Fagu and so many other similar cases.

In 2009, the Federal Government was ordered to pay the sum of N150m to Bulet International Limited for illegally demolishing its property, a demolition, which was done by the Federal Capital Territory Development Authority (FCDA).

Again, in May 2012 the Federal Government was asked to pay Messrs Esquire Ventures Limited the sum of N148m as money owed the contractor.

Yet again, in May 2012, the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) was ordered by an Abuja court to pay the sum of N152m for killing Mrs. Doris Okere, a nursing mother.

The above mentioned cases and many more too numerous to mention have accumulated up to N5bn the Federal Government is to spend for settlement of debts in 2013, and captured in the 2013 Appropriation Act.

featured