The National Industrial Court sitting in Owerri, the Imo State capital , on Wednesday , issued an order of perpetual injunction restraining the state government and its agents from further slashing of pensions due to the pensioners of the state .

Delivering judgment in suit number NICN / OW / 144/ 2017, which was instituted by the pensioners against the state government, Justice Olufunke Anuwe said that the state government did not have the right to alter pensions due to pensioners.

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Justice Anuwe , in the judgment, held that pension matters, as contained in Section 201 of the 1999 Constitution, were constitutional matters and could not be altered by a state government .

The judge frowned on what she described as the failure of the defence counsel to defend the actions of the defendants . She said, “ It is unfortunate that the defence counsel rather than defend the actions of the defendants resorted to deny their actions.”

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She said that from the whitepaper tendered , it was clear to the court that the form issued to the state pensioners to sign off 60 per cent of their pensions , while collecting only 40 per cent came from the state government .

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According to judge , the defence counsel did not counter the evidence but only claimed that the defendants did not issue any form to pensioners .

Justice Anuwe asserted that until the relevant sections of the constitution were amended , any action to tamper with pensions was illegal .

The Chairman of Nigerian Bar Association , Owerri branch, Lawrence Nwakaeti , who spoke to our correspondent shortly after the judgment was delivered said , ‘ the rule of law has prevailed over the rule of man which the Imo State Government symbolises ’.

NBA handled the matter for the retirees for free .