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NNPC fails to stop Ararume’s N100bn case against unlawful removal as board chairman

Published

2 years ago

January 24, 2023

Trends Admin

Senator Ifeanyi Ararume

•As two SANs storm out of proceedings

•Court fixes March 28 for judgment

The Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) yesterday failed to halt hearing in a N100 billion suit instituted against President Muhammadu Buhari over the alleged unlawful removal of Senator Ifeanyi Ararume as Board Chairman of the NNPCL, just as two senior lawyers representing the oil company in the suit stormed out of the proceedings.

Hearing in the matter filed by Ararume at the Federal High Court, Abuja had been stalled on two previous occasions by the NNPCL.

The plaintiff, Araraume had instituted a N100 billion suit against Buhari, over his alleged unlawful removal as Non-Executive Chairman of the newly-incorporated NNPCL.

Besides Buhari, the NNPCL and the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) were second and third defendants respectively.

Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had on January 11, adjourned the matter to January 23, for definite hearing.

When the matter up yesterday, the judge directed parties to identify and adopt their processes as their brief of argument in the matter.

Reacting, lead lawyer to the NNPC, Prof. Koyinsola Ajayi, drew the court’s attention to a motion for stay of proceedings challenging the January 11 of the Court, which had declined to take the NNPCL’s motion of preliminary objection to the substantive suit.

Ajayi, was of the opinion that the application for stay be taken and the court takes a decision one way or the other before progressing with the case.

Responding, Justice Ekwo declined, insisting that the court would take all motions together, including the substantive suit.

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After several attempts to make the judge take the application for stay first, failed, Ajayi, while observing that the position of the court has placed him at an uncomfortable position, asked the judge for permission to withdraw from the proceedings.

Responding, Ekwo reminded the lawyer that he was not the one who engaged Ajayi and as such the senior lawyer was at liberty to take whatever decision he seems good.

At this juncture, Ajayi withdrew from the proceedings and walked out of the court and was followed by Etigwe Uwa, SAN, who represented NNPC at the January 11 proceedings.

However, the court reminded Ajayi that a process already filed before a court was deemed adopted even if the lawyer refuses to do so.

The judge subsequently called on other parties to adopt their various processes.

Responding, Ararume’s counsel, Chief Chris Uche, urged the court to invoke the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) to nullify the removal of his client as the Chairman of the NNPCL.

Uche argued that Buhari acted outside the law to remove Ararume as Board Chairman after incorporating the oil company in his name and was billed for inauguration in that capacity.

But Buhari’s lawyer, Mr. Abubakar Shuaib, disagreed with Ararume and prayed the court to dismiss the suit on the grounds that it was statute barred at the time it was filed.

Specifically, Shuaib argued that Ararume’s suit offended Section 2(a) of the Public Officers Act and as such was incompetent.

Similarly, lawyer to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Mr Akeeem Mustapha SAN, told the court it lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit.

Mustapha in exonerating the CAC claimed that his client did not play any role in the removal of Ararume, other than incorporating NNPCL as a limited liability company based on the document submitted to it.

He, however, submitted that Ararume’s appointment was political, adding that the president has the power to hire and fire.

He stressed that Ararume’s appointment had nothing to do with the CAMA law.

Shortly, after parties adopted their brief of arguments, Justice Ekwo announced that ruling and or judgment in the suit is fixed for March 28.

Araraume had asked for N100 billion to compensate for damages caused him by the alleged unlawful and unconstitutional way and manner he was removed as the NNPCL chief after using his name to incorporate the entity.

In the suit marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/691/2022, the former Senator formulated four issues for determination by the court.

One of the issue was whether in view of the provisions of the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the NNPC, Companies and Allied Matters Act 2010 and the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, the office of the Non Executive Chairman is not governed and regulated by the stated provisions of the law.

Thisday

Related Topics:Ararume board chairman Featured NNPC

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Maiduguri flood: Displaced persons return home as water recedes

Published

4 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Trends Admin

Maiduguri flood: Displaced persons return home as water recedes

Many people displaced by Alau Dam flood in Maiduguri have started leaving camps for their respective homes as the water receded in many areas of the city.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that all those leaving camps are provided with two weeks of food ration and N10,000 each by the State Government which has embarked on distribution of cash and food items in the 32 camps across Maiduguri.

The flood disaster has affected nearly one million people, with around 200,000 displaced. Many residents have had to turn to boats for transportation due to the high water levels.

The flooding has also led to significant infrastructure damage, including the collapse of bridges and the flooding of hospitals and schools.

In his maiden briefing at the Flood Disaster Situation Room, the Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Prof. Usman Tar, said over 30,000 households with a population of over 600,000 were registered i the camps.

Tar said that the government was committed to closing the camps within two weeks and was happy to see some people leaving after collecting their ration.

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Tar said that about 40 per cent of the camps were being attended to with the cash and food palliatives by members of the flood committee.

According to him, a Rapid Assessment Team had been established with technically qualified individuals and community leaders to go round and assess damage for government support.

“The committee will go round and check the nature of destruction on homes and determine the cash equivalent of the destruction on the basis of which the government shall provide cash support to each household.

On incidents of looting in some affected areas, Tar said that security men had been mobilised with many arrests made.

He cautioned against some reported dangerous activities like consumption of dead animals, contaminated food and drugs, adding that public enlightenment was on for arrest and prosecution of those involved in the sales and distribution of contaminated items.

“On the issue of escaped animals from the Maiduguri Zoo, a team has been dispatched to trace them with many captured.

“I am happy to tell you that the Lion in the zoo survived the flood and is being rehabilitated,” the commissioner said.

Maiduguri flood: Displaced persons return home as water recedes

(NAN)

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Ganduje not plotting to dethrone any Kano Emir – Aide

Published

5 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Trends Admin

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje

Ganduje not plotting to dethrone any Kano Emir – Aide

ABUJA: Senior Special Assistant on Public Enlightenment to the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Chief Oliver Okpala has dispelled allegations in some quarters that his principal, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje was plotting a fresh dethronement of Emir Muhammadu Lamido Sanusi of Kano.

An online report with the headline, “Ganduje leads a fresh plot to dethrone Emir Muhammadu Sanusi” had alleged “a fresh plot” by Ganduje “to dethrone Muhammadu Sanusi as the Emir of Kano”

The report quoted “sources within the Kofar Kudu Palace, powerful individuals in Kano allegedly led by Dr Ganduje, are orchestrating the removal of the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor as the 16th Emir of Kano and Chairman of the Kano Council of Chiefs”

Reacting to the publication, Chief Okpala insisted that nothing could be farther from the truth about the claims, reiterating that Dr Ganduje has nothing to do with the allegation of a fresh plot to dethrone Emir Muhammadu Sanusi.

Okpala said Ganduje was no longer the Governor of Kano state, neither is he the Speaker of the state House of Assembly and could not be linked to any fresh plot or plan to dethrone or enthrone anyone as Emir of Kano.

“It should be made categorically clear that Dr Ganduje has nothing to do with the present enthronement or dethronement of Emir Muhammadu Sanusi in Kano state.

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“It should be noted that Dr Ganduje is no longer the Executive Governor of Kano state or the speaker of the Kano state House of Assembly and therefore cannot have anything to do further with the Emirship of Kano.

“It is laughable that Dr Ganduje who has left office as Governor for some years now would be accused of masterminding a fresh plot to remove or enthrone an Emir.

“According to the publication, Ganduje is not only alleged to be plotting to remove Emir Sanusi, they said he is also plotting to advise Alhaji Ado Bayero to abdicate his throne as Emir of Kano for peace to reign. This is, to say the least preposterous and absurd.

“It must be made clear that Dr Ganduje has led and governed Kano state creditably and since moved on, focusing on other more important national issues, as he leads Nigeria’s governing party, the APC.

metro

Yobe man murders business partner over N500,000 debt

Published

5 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Trends Admin

Yobe man murders business partner over N500,000 debt

A 24-year-old man from Yobe State has been arrested for allegedly murdering a business associate over a debt of N500,000.

Police say Yunus Isa killed Lawan Adamu, also 28, in Damaturu, the state capital, after failing to repay the money. The two men were traders dealing in engine oil and other lubricants.

Isa had reportedly borrowed the sum under false pretences, claiming it was to open a new outlet with a profit-sharing agreement. However, he is said to have used the money to fund his marriage instead.

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When Adamu repeatedly demanded the repayment of the loan, Isa allegedly lured him to a remote area on 15 September, where he fatally stabbed him.

Yobe State Police spokesperson, DSP Dungus Abdulkarim, confirmed Isa’s arrest, stating that after initial denials, Isa confessed to the crime under interrogation. He added that the swift resolution of the case underscores the police’s commitment to public safety.