DR. MOHAMMED ABBA AJI NIGERIA SOCIAL INSURANCE TRUST FUND MANAGEMENT BOARD V. MONISOLA ADETOLA (MISS) AND 10 OTHERS PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL OF THE FEDERATION AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE THE MINISTER OF LABOUR AND PRODUCTIVITY THE HEAD OF SERVICE OF THE FEDERATION

OGUNTADE JCA (Delivering the Lead Judgment): The 1st to 10th respondents were the plaintiffs in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/116/2001, at the Federal High Court, Abuja and the appellants were the 5th and 6th defendants of the six defendants sued. The parties are hereinafter referred to by the same description they bore before the lower court. By their originating summons issued on 28/3/01, the plaintiffs claimed against the defendants the following reliefs: “1. Against the 5th and 6th defendants, a declaration that the said 5th and 6th defendants are obliged to carry out or comply with the instructions, in particular the instructions and directives contained in the 1st defendant’s letter reference PSO/039/73 of 26th May, 1999, communicated to the said 4th and 5th defendants through the 3rd defendant in the latter’s letter reference ML/AR/189/CON I/T of 29th June, 1999.

A declaration that the 5th and 6th defendants acted improperly in failing to comply with the instructions or directives refer…