A chaotic scene was experienced at the Court of Appeal in Abuja earlier today December 30, as staff were barred from accessing the court premises with their vehicles.
According to The Nation, the security personnel at the entrance said they were directed by the court’s President, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, to lock the entrance gate to prevent staff who report to work late from accessing the court premises with their vehicles.
Some directors were among those affected by the directive. They were forced to park their vehicles on the court’s main entrance gate, up to the main road leading to the Federal Secretariat and the Force headquarters, thereby affecting normal traffic flow.
Policemen have also been drafted to the scene to help control traffic and secure the vehicles. Justice Dongban-Mensem reportedly gave the directive after discovering that majority of the staff were not in their offices, while some were just strolling in after the official resumption period.
An official of the court told the publication;
My lord (the President) went round some of the offices this morning and found out that they were all empty. Most staff are in the habit of coming late, while some have even said they will resume by next year.
He added;
So, she directed the security personnel to lock the gate so that those coming late would not be allowed to enter with their vehicles. Even staff buses are affected. You can see they are all packed outside. We are, however, not sure what penalties would be visited on the erring staff at the end of the day.
