Ondo stakeholders sue Buhari over NDDC nominee, seek to stop inauguration of board

Stakeholders in Ilaje LGA of Ondo state have asked a federal high court in Abuja to stop President Muhammadu Buhari from inaugurating the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

In November 2022, President Muhammadu Buhari asked the upper legislative chamber to confirm Onochie as the NDDC chair and 15 other nominees as board members of the commission.

In December, the senate confirmed the appointment of Onochie and 12 other nominees, including Charles Ogunmola, as members of the board.

Ogunmola, an indigene of Ondo state, was appointed as director of projects.

OGUNMOLA NOT FROM OIL PRODUCING AREA

In the suit filed on Tuesday, the plaintiffs through their lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), are seeking an order of injunction to restrain the president from inaugurating, recognising or dealing with “Mr Charles B. Ogunmola as the executive director, projects of the Niger Delta Development Commission since he is from Owo in the northern axis of Ondo state and not an indigene of the oil producing area of the state”. 

Apart from the president, other defendants in the suit are the national assembly, the senate, the attorney-general of the federation and Ogunmola. 

The plaintiffs are asking the court to issue a restraining order on the defendants and that status quo be maintained pending the hearing and determination of the originating summon. 

In the main originating summons, the plaintiffs submitted that Ogunmola’s appointment violates section 12 (1) of the NDDC Act, which stipulates that the managing director and the executive directors of the NDDC must be indigenes of oil producing areas. 

In the affidavit in support of the case Adebowale Karaki, the deponent, stated that Ogunmola has been rejected by the oil producing areas of Ondo state, by the legislators representing the state in the national assembly and also by the people of Ondo state through Rotimi Akeredolu, the state governor. 

The plaintiffs added that since this is the first executive appointment of the NDDC to be zoned to Ondo, it would be a grave injustice to deny the opportunity to the state’s oil producing regions.

They also averred that Ogunmola is not properly qualified to oversee projects and understand the suffering and anguish of the people who are directly impacted by the effects of oil production and exploration since he is not from an oil producing region.

Consequently, the plaintiffs want the court to declare that pursuant to the provisions of section 12 (1) and other enabling sections of the NDDC (Establishment, Etc) Act 2000, “appointment into the position of the executive director of projects of the NDDC as zoned to Ondo state is limited and exclusive to indigenes of the oil producing areas of Ilaje local government council of Ondo state being the only oil producing area of Ondo state”.

They are seeking a declaration that, by “not being an indigene of the oil producing area of Ondo state,” Ogunmola is “not entitled to be nominated, screened, confirmed, assume, be recognized or function in office as such”. 

NULLIFY OGUNMOLA’S APPOINTMENT

The plaintiffs are also praying the court for “an order nullifying, cancelling, invalidating and setting aside the appointment and confirmation of the 5th defendant as the executive director of projects of the NDDC”.

While noting that the suit has been served on the president as well as the AGF, Adegboruwa said no date has been fixed for the hearing. 

The plaintiffs include Oluyemi Ogunyomi, former clerk of the national assembly and also chairman board of trustees of Ugboland Development Congress as well as Adebowale Karaki and Mann Ali who are trustees and secretary of Ugboland Development Congress, respectively.

The other plaintiffs are Incorporated Trustees of Ilaje Advancement Forum, Idowu Mafimisebi, Olaniran Obele and Ige Asemudara and all lawyers representing Ilaje lawyers forum.