Itsekiri Leader Asks Court to Restrain Buhari from Constituting NDDC Board

Sunday Okobi

Itsekiri leader and right activist, Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor, has charged the federal government not to constitute any board for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) until the outcome of the forensic audit ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari is released.

She disclosed this to journalists yesterday in Lagos where she announced that she had filed a suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja, to restrain President Buhari, Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, and Senate President, Ahmad Lawal, from inaugurating a new board for the interventionist agency pending the release of the outcome of the forensic audit.

Also joined in the lawsuit are the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, and Clerk of the National Assembly as third and fifth defendants.

The president, Malami and Lawan are first, second and fourth defendants respectively in the case.

The plaintiff, in the originating summons dated July 26, 2021, in suit number: FHC/ABJ/744/2021 filed by her solicitors, Patrick Oganwu and Associates, said she wants the court to stop the defendants from raising a new board for the commission except the forensic audit report is made public.

She raised a number of questions for the court to determine, including whether by the provisions of the NDDC Act 2017, the first defendant can exercise his powers, control, and supervision over the NDDC by issuing a directive ordering a forensic audit of the activities of the NDDC from 2001 to 2019 and whether the first defendant is bound to receive the report of the forensic audit and act on same before taking any further steps in constituting or reconstituting the board for the NDDC.

The Niger Delta leader consequently sought the following reliefs: “An order or injunction restraining the first defendant from constituting or reconstituting the board for the NDDC or appointing anybody or persons into the agency board pending the completion of the forensic audit ordered by the first defendant and a receipt of the said report from the third defendant.

“An order of this honourable court restraining the first defendant from acting on any advice with regards to constituting the NDDC board without receiving a copy of the audited forensic report and thereafter immediately issuing a White Paper on same. An order restraining the fourth defendant from receiving nominations from the first defendant with a view to screening and confirming the appointment of any person or persons as board members of the NDDC pending the completion and presentation of the audit (report) ordered by the first defendants.

“An order restraining the third defendant, by himself or anybody, whosoever, acting through him, from interfering with the conduct of the forensic audit in a manner inconsistent with the order of the first defendant.

“And for such further order or other order (s) as this honourable court may deem fit to make in the circumstances.

A date for the hearing of the suit is yet to be announced.

Meanwhile, the Igba of Warri Kingdom has appealed to the NDDC Sole Administrator, Effiong Akwa, “not to sit on the audit report in order not to prolong his stay in office.”