The National Industrial Court sitting in Lagos has sacked the acting clerk of the House, Ottun Babatunde, who was appointed by Speaker Mojisola Meranda.
The court ordered the reinstatement of the former clerk of the House, Olalekan Onafeko.
The order follows an ex parte application to the court made by Onafeko through his counsel, Yusuf Nurudeen, in a case he filed against the Lagos State Government, Lagos State Civil Service Commission, Lagos State House of Assembly Service Commission, the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Attorney-General of Lagos State and Babatunde.
Onafeko was the clerk of the House before January 13 when Obasa was removed as Speaker.
The claimant in the suit marked: NICN/LA/23/2025 sought an interim injunction restraining the six defendants from parading any individual including Babatunde as the clerk pending the hearing of the motion on notice for Interlocutory injunction already filed in the suit.
Granting the application, Justice M. N. Esowe in an ex parte order directed that Babatunde should cease to parade himself as Clerk.
“That both parties shall maintain the peace and status quo ante bellum until the motion on notice is heard and determined,” Esowe ordered in a judgment dated February 20 and sighted by our correspondent on Sunday.
The judge slated the hearing of the motion on notice for March 3, 2024.
The sacking is another new turn of the crisis rocking the assembly since the removal of Obasa, who has dragged the assembly and Maeranda to court, seeking redress.
The PUNCH reports that the House on February 12 adjourned its sitting indefinitely after the presence of officials of the Department of State Services created tension at the assembly and sparked controversy.
(Punch)
