Law
FHA crisis: Suspended bank boss initiates contempt proceedings against management
The Managing Director of FHA Mortgage Bank, Roland Igbinoba has initiated contempt proceedings against the Federal Housing Authority, its Chief Executive Officer, Professor Mohammed Al-Amin and the FHA Homes Ltd for an alleged disobedience of the order of the National Industrial Court, Abuja which reversed his suspension.
Igbinoba through his lawyer Chike Okafor is in the contempt proceedings filed at the court contenting that the respondents disobeyed the order of the court.
In an injunction dated June 19, 2015, and signed by the presiding Judge, Hon. Justice M.N. Esowe and the Registrar, Mrs. Ismaila R. Danlami, the court had stopped the FHA, its directors, agents or representatives from implementing the contents of the letter dated June 2, 2015 reportedly suspending Igbinoba from office.
The first part of the injunction had read thus: “An order of interim injunction restraining the respondents themselves, directors, agents, servants, privies, trustees, nominees, proxies, subsidiaries, related companies or otherwise any person, natural or artificial, however called from implementing the contents of the letter dated 2nd June 2015 written by the respondent to the applicant (Igbinoba) purportedly suspending the applicant from office pending the hearing and determination of the Motion of Notice.”
The court ordered the Federal Housing Authority and the chairman of the Board of FHA Mortgage Bank, Al-Amin to reverse all steps taken by them or anyone acting on their behalf in accordance with the said suspension letter to make the applicant relinquish his control or powers invested on him as the MD of the bank pending the determination of the Motion of Notice.
The maintained that it issu the injunction after hearing the learned counsel to Mr. Igbinoba, C. Okafor Esq and having gone through the affidavit in support of the Motions.
“Upon reading the Application, Affidavit in support and Affidavit of urgency therein deposed to by Roland Igbinoba, Managing Director of FHA Homes Limited. Upon hearing the Learned Counsel to the Claimant/Applicant C. Okafor, Esq move his Motion Ex-Parte; Having gone through the 23 paragraphed Affidavit in support of the Motions, particularly paragraphs 5,6,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17 (a) (b) and (c) 18-22 and having read the contents of the Exhibits “A,” A1, B, C and D attached to the supporting Affidavits.
The FHA management had suspended Igbinoba, from his role as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of FHA Mortgage Bank. The Bank’s Board Chairman, Al-Amin had affirmed in a statement that Igbinoba was ordered to proceed on suspension pending the investigation of all allegations of misconduct leveled against him.