Justice Served: Benue Govt Ordered To Pay ₦57m Severance To Orbunde, Others

A Senior District Court in Makurdi has directed the Benue State Government to immediately pay a ₦57 million judgment debt owed to former Chief of Staff, Terwase Orbunde, and 13 other ex-officials who served under former Governor Samuel Ortom.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Delivering the ruling, Justice Kevin Mbanongun ordered the Operational Manager of Fidelity Bank Plc to enforce the garnishee order and ensure full compliance within five hours of receiving the notice.

The judge emphasized that Fidelity Bank must release the funds without delay, insisting that the garnishee order be executed promptly and completely.

Although the order was served on the bank by 1 p.m. on Wednesday, payment had not yet been made as of press time.

The judgment beneficiaries include several former top aides and officials under the Ortom administration:
Senator Titus Zam, Simon Abua, Emmanuel Manger, Prof. Jonathan Uever, Dr. Mathew Mnyam, Tahav Agerzua, Shimataver Aondoakaa, Merga Kachina, the late Shima Ayati, Stephen Tyochir, Tsenongo Abacha, James Uloko, and Sam Unom.

The former appointees had approached the court to compel the state government to pay their severance gratuities, which were stated in their appointment letters but allegedly withheld after their tenure ended.

Their counsel, Barrister Ocha Ulegede, filed the garnishee proceedings following a summary judgment delivered by the National Industrial Court, Makurdi, on December 13, 2024, in favour of the claimants.

Despite the court’s ruling, the Benue State Government reportedly failed to comply, prompting the current enforcement action.

Speaking after the court session, Tahav Agerzua, one of the beneficiaries, welcomed the decision, describing it as long-overdue justice.

“This is justice well served. We made several appeals to the authorities, and even toward the end of Ortom’s administration, some beneficiaries were reportedly settled. Those of us left out only asked for fairness,” he said.

Agerzua explained that the group turned to the court only after exhausting all internal efforts.

As of press time, Fidelity Bank had yet to disburse the funds, but court officials confirmed they are monitoring compliance in line with the judge’s directive.