By
Fawaz Adebisi
Muhammadu Buhari, the president of Nigeria, Abubakar Malami, the attorney general and minister of justice, Ahmad Lawan, the president of the Senate, and Lauretta Onochie, the chairwoman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), have all received warnings and threats from a Federal High Court in Abuja regarding contempt.
It was learned that a court injunction forbade the National Assembly from considering and adopting Ms. Onochie’s and Chief Samuel Ogbuku’s nominations for chairman and managing director (MD), respectively, of the NDDC.
The complaint filed by Ama Etuwewe (SAN) & Co. has had all proceedings halted pending the resolution of the case, according to an order made by the presiding court, Justice J. K. Omotosho.
“Take notice that unless you obey the directions contained in this order, you will be guilty of contempt of court and will be liable to be committed to prison,” the notice read.
The court also stopped Mr. Buhari from ordination Ogbuku and Ms. Onochie.
Remember that despite Etuwewe’s lawsuit demanding that the terms of the NDDC Act be properly applied, the two were last week selected and confirmed by the National Assembly as the Chairman and MD of the NDDC, respectively.
The complaint claimed that the Itsekiri ethnic nationality should produce the NDDC board chairman and MD because it is arguably the largest oil-producing community in Delta State.
The case was postponed to January 11, 2023 for further hearing after Justice Omotosho, the presiding court, examined the affidavit and spoke with the plaintiff’s attorney.
Onochie and Ogbuku were ratified by the Senate on Tuesday as the chairman and MD of the NDDC notwithstanding the court’s order.
