By DOUGLAS OKORO

The Ebonyi Government Friday said it had approved the payment of promotion arrears owed to civil servants in the state.

The Commissioner for Information, Mr Uchenna Orji, said this while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting held at the new Executive Council Chamber, Centenary City, Abakaliki.

Orji said that the council had approved the payment of the arrears before April 7.

He said that the council also directed the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters to ensure that affected workers at the local government system were paid.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that state civil servants and their local government counterparts were owed years of promotion arrears under the present administration.

On the Appeal Court’s judgment on the suit brought by Sen. Sonni Ogbuoji against Gov. Dave Umahi and his Deputy, Dr Eric Kelechi-Igwe, Orji said the judgement upheld the Constitution and other extant laws on election.

“The Appeal Court, Enugu Division has dismissed an appeal instituted by Ogbuoji, seeking to remove Umahi and his deputy, Kelechi-Igwe on account of the their defecting to APC.

“The Appeal Court affairmed that no Court has the Constitutional power to declare the office of the governor or deputy governor vacant except as provided by the Constitution.

“The court stated that defection has no constitutional or legislative implication as to warrant their vacation from office.

“The learned jurists said that it is not the duty of the court to infer what is not expressly contained in the Constitution or law,” Orji stated. (NAN)