A full panel of the Supreme Court, headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Dahiru Musdapher, on Monday, fixed September 25 for definite hearing in the suit filed by the 36 states of the federation against the Federal Government, challenging the legality of the Excess Crude Account and the decision to transfer $1 billion from the account to the Sovereign Wealth Funds.

The Federal Government had, before now, asked the court for time to enable it to settle the matter out of court.

When the matter came up on Monday, counsel for the states, Adegboyega Awomolo, told the court that the Attorney-General of the Federation had not created time for the out-of-court settlement, though they had presented all their terms of settlement.

He, however, prayed the court to give them a date for definite hearing and an order restraining the Federal Government from further spending from the said account, adding that the Accountant General of the Federation had, last week, threatened to remove another N2 billion from the account.

Counsel for the Federal Government, Austin  Alegeh, told the court that the deductions in the account had always been at the instance of the states.

On the alternative, he prayed the court to compel the plaintiffs to sign an undertaking not to request for any fund from the Federal Government until the suit was resolved.

It will be recalled that the 36 states had earlier accused the Federal Government of insincerity in its promise to settle the case of court.

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