By Odo Ogenyi, Uyo
A coalition of groups under the aegis of Concerned Civil Society Stakeholders (CCS) in Niger Delta, have dragged President Muhammadu Buhari, before a Federal High Court, Uyo, seeking a restraining order against the inauguration of the newly named Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Board.
Addressing journalists yesterday in Uyo, the National Coordinator of the coalition, Prince Ekpuk Jumbo explained that the suit became necessary as a last resort to correct the inherent anomalies in the constitution of the new board of the Commission, which he noted, “clearly violated the relevant sections of the Act establishing the NDDC Act, in 2000.”
According to the case instituted before Justice Agatha Okeke, the plaintiffs are challenging the composition of the new Board, with Dr. Emem Wills, as the Akwa Ibom representative, seeking,”whether the nomination and appointment of the of the Akwa Ibom representative, Dr. Emem Wilcox Wills, on Board, is not an infraction of section 12 (1) of the NDDC Act?
“Whether the purpoted confirmation of the appointments of Chairman and other members, is not unlawful, null and void, and a crass infraction of the provisions of the section 12 (1) of the NDDC Act, 2000.?”
Urging the President to allow equity, justice and fair play to prevail in the case, Jumbo pointed out that section 12 (1) of the Act, says that: “there shall be for the Commission, a Managing Director and two Executive Directors, who shall be indigenes of of oil producing areas, starting with the member state of the Commission with the highest production of oil, and shall rotate amongst member states in the order of production.”
Based on this extant and clear provision, the group, therefore, sought “an order of injunction restraining the defendants be it by themselves, servants, person or persons howsoever from further proceedings, sessions, meetings and deliberations howsoever in connection, and or relation to the purpoted confirmation of Chairman and other members of the NDDC Board.’
