An Abuja based legal practitioner, Max Ogar, in a public interest litigation case, has dragged the Cross River State Government before the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division, challenging the state government’s directive that the Cross River State Accountant General, take over the payroll system of the 18 local government councils in the state.
Ogar, wants The Attorney General of Cross River State, Cross River State Ministry of Justice, Calabar; and the Attorney General of the Federation of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Abuja, to “within thirty (30) days of the service of this summons on them, inclusive of the day of such service, cause appearances to be entered for them in this summons which is issued upon the application of Max Ogar for the determination of the following questions:
“Whether by virtue of the subsisting judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in SC/CV/343/2024 (Attorney General of the Federation V. Attorney General of Abia State & 35 Ors.) delivered on 11th July 2024, the directive of the Governor of Cross River State on the payroll of Cross River Local Government staff being moved to the office of the Accountant General of the State, is not antithetical to the autonomy of Local Governments in Cross River State?”
“Whether the directive of the Governor of Cross River State on the payroll of Cross River Local Government staff being moved to the office of the Accountant General of the State is consistent with Section 7 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended)?”
“Whether the directive of the Governor of Cross River State on the payroll of Cross River Local Government staff being moved to the office of the Accountant General of the State is consistent with Section 162 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended)?”
“Whether the directive of the Governor of Cross River State on the payroll of Cross River Local Government staff being moved to the office of the Accountant General of the State is consistent with Section 6 of the Cross River State Local Government Amendment Law, 2025?”
We gathered from legal documents sighted by www.calitown.com that, “upon the determination of the above questions; the Plaintiff shall pray the Court for the following reliefs:
“A Declaration that the directive of the Governor of Cross River State on the payroll of Cross River Local Government staff being moved to the office of the Accountant General of the State is inconsistent with Sections 7 and 162 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).”
“A Declaration that the directive of the Governor of Cross River State on the payroll of Cross River Local Government staff being moved to the office of the Accountant General of the State is inconsistent with Section 6 of the of Cross River State Local Government Amendment Law, 2025.”
“A Declaration that the directive of the Governor of Cross River State on the payroll of Cross River Local Government staff being moved to the office of the Accountant General of the State is an assault on the subsisting judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in SC/CV/343/2024 (Attorney General of the Federation V. Attorney General of Abia State & 35 Ors.) delivered on 11th July 2024.”
“An Order restraining the Government of Cross River State from any action/further action capable of stifling the independence of the 18 Local Government Councils in Cross River State particularly as it affects the finances of the Local Government Councils.”
Recall that in a letter dated March 12, 2026, the National Union Of Local Government Employees, NULGE, Cross River State, had in a letter signed by Otabe Obono Leko, State President and Ikiba Ronami, State Secretary, addressed to state governor, Bassey Otu, described the attempt to take the local councils payroll to the AG’s office as a, “fraud-tainted move to collapse the LG payroll into the state government payroll architecture”, further condemning the AG’s accompanying directives “to the Directors of Finance & Supplies of the 18 LGAs in the state to submit their payrolls to her office, … blatantly contravenes the 1999 Constitution, as amended”, the letter stated.
