The High Court has ruled that the creation of advisory offices to the President and the appointment of 21 individuals to those positions were unconstitutional, in a major decision affecting the structure of the Executive Office of the President.
In its ruling on Thursday, the court said the offices and appointments were made in violation of the Constitution and relevant public service laws. It declared the appointments null and void from the beginning, meaning they have no legal effect.
The court also cancelled all decisions linked to the establishment of the offices and the appointment of the individuals, effectively invalidating the actions taken by the first and second respondents in the matter.
Further, the court issued a permanent order stopping the respondents and anyone acting under their authority from recognising, facilitating, or paying any benefits or allowances to the appointees based on those offices.
The court directed the Public Service Commission to carry out a full audit of all offices created within the Executive Office of the President since the 2010 Constitution was adopted. The audit will focus especially on offices established after August 2022.
Based on the findings, the commission must abolish any offices found to have been created unlawfully or against the Constitution. The commission is also required to submit a progress report to the court within 120 days.
More details are expected as the matter develops.
