Dr Olisa Agbakoba, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has sued the Federal Government over what he described as “lopsided appointments” at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). He said the appointments contravened “the provisions of section 14 of the constitution and also the federal character commission act and the provisions of sections 42 of the constitution of Nigeria that prohibits discrimination of any of Nigeria’s ethnic groups such as, in this case, the south-east”.
According to a statement signed on Monday by his media assistant, Niyi Odunmorayo, Dr Agbakoba made the allegation in a suit filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja. In the suit, he challenged the non-inclusion of the South East of the country in appointments to the NNPC Board.
“One of the instances of discrimination of that on 5 July 2016, the federal government of Nigeria appointed the following persons as members of the board of the 2nd respondent (NNPC): Dr Tajuddeen Umar (north-east), Dr Maikanti Baru (north-east), Mr Abba Kyari (north-east); Mr Mahmoud Isa-Dutse (north-central); Mallam Mohammed Lawal; Mallam Yusuf Lawal; Dr Emmanuel IbeKachikwu (south-south); Dr Thomas MA John (south-south), and Dr Pius O Akinyelure (south-west),” he said in the suit.
“None of these persons appointed to fill the nine positions are from the states comprising the south-east geopolitical zone, while more than one person were appointed from some of the geopolitical zones.
“The federal government, by the lopsided appointment accords numerical advantage to states in other geopolitical zones, to the detriment of the applicant’s south-east geopolitical zone that is totally excluded from the board of the 2nd respondent.”
The legal practitioner alleged that the appointment made by the Federal Government contravened the provisions of Section 14 of the Constitution, as well as the Federal Character Commission Act.
He stated that it was also in contravention of the “provisions of Sections 42 of the Constitution of Nigeria that prohibits discrimination of any of Nigeria’s ethnic groups such as, in this case, the South East.”
Agbakoba requested the court to declare the “lopsided appointments” of board members of the South East region unconstitutional, null and void.
No date has been fixed to hear the suit.
