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Paul Osuyi, Asaba
AN anti-corruption group, Centre for Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Crusade (CHURAC), has sued Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and three others over the appointment of a former House of Assembly member, Michael Diden, as Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) board chairman.
CHURAC, which picked holes in Diden’s appointment, said it negated relevant sections of the law that established DESOPADEC with particular reference to the principle of rotation of offices among oil-bearing ethnic nationalities.
In the suit, which was instituted at the state High Court, Warri, the group is seeking the nullification of the appointment.
CHURAC argued that the immediate past chairman of the board, Godwin Ebose hails from the same ethnic nationality (Itsekiri) with Diden.
Governor Okowa, attorney general and Assembly speaker were joined in the suit as first, second and third defendants respectively, while DESOPADEC chairman, Diden, is the fourth defendant.
The suit filed on behalf of the claimants by J. P. Oromoni is also seeking the declaration of the court to compel the first defendant to withdraw the appointment of the fourth defendant as he is not qualified to be appointed as board chairman pending the determination of the substantive suit.
According to it, “that by virtue of the provisions of Section 15(1), (2) a & b and (3) of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission Law, 2015 (as amended in 2019) the first Defendant cannot nominate for appointment any person as a member of the governing board of DESOPADEC whose ethnic nationality produced the immediate past board member of the same office.
“Appointing the fourth defendant as chairman from Itsekiri ethnic nationality into the governing board of DESOPADEC having earlier appointed one Ebose as chairman in the governing board of DESOPADEC from the same Itsekiri ethnic nationality in 2015 is an aberration.”
While also urging the court to compel the defendants to put up an appearance within 30 days after service of the summons on them, inclusive of the day of such service cause an appearance to be entered for them and file any other process in response to the summons which is issued upon the application of the originating summons of the claimants.
Okowa had recently inaugurated the board of interventionist agency with Diden as chairman of 15 others as managing director, executive directors and members.
