Follow Us on Google
From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari, Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar. Malami and Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Umana Umana, have been dragged before a Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged unlawful interference in the operations of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
In the suit with number FHC/ABJ/CS/1458/2022, the plaintiff, Oladimeji Ekengba, alleged that Umana has unlawfully assumed the position of the managing director in the running of the affairs of the commission contrary to the positions of the law.
The legal practitioner and indigene of Imo State is seeking an order of the court restraining the defendants from further interfering in the activities of the commission.
He specifically wants the court to stop Umana from further acting as NDDC’s MD or interfering with the NDDC’s operations since he has no power under any law to do so.
Plaintiff, in the suit filed by himself, is seeking a declaration that by virtue of Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution and Section 2 of the NDDC’s Act, 2000, the minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the permanent secretary of the ministry are not part of the persons mentioned in Section 2 of the NDDC’s Act and cannot interfere or usurp the powers of the board and management of the commission without an amendment to the NDDC’s Act by the National Assembly.
Ekengba also applied for a declaration that the interference and intervention of the Niger Delta minister, the ministry and the permanent secretary in the affairs of the commission is contrary and in breach of Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution and Section 2 of the NDDC’s Act and that any purported acts done by them are unconstitutional, illegal, null and void and should be set aside.
The suit instituted on August 19 also sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining the minster of Niger Delta Affairs, the ministry and the permanent secretary of the ministry from interfering, usurping, controlling or issuing directives to the management and workers and intervening in the affairs of the commission.
