ONDO LAWYER SUES FG AND NASS OVER NDDC BOARD COMPOSITION.
An Akure based legal practitioner , Kariakitei Kokowei has sued the Federal Government and the Nigerian Senate for not appointing a person from Oil Producing Areas of Ondo State as Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
In an originating summons, issued in Akure but served in Abuja,copies of which was made available to Journalists in Abuja,the legal luminary argued that the actions of the Federal Government is contrary to the rotational arrangement as entrenched in Section 12(1) of the NDDC (Establishment etc Act 2000). He argued that Ondo State indigine is entitled to be appointed as Managing Director or Executive Director of Finance and Administration or Executive Director Projects of the Board. He therefore urged the Federal High Court to make an Order for the Federal Government to nominate any qualified and experienced person from the Oil Producing Areas of Ondo State to be confirmed by the Senate as either MD or Executive Director of Finance and Administration or Executive Director Projects.
In a related development, Mr Success Odogbo has also sued the Chairman of Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) at the Federal High Court Akure to compel the Commission to make available Certified True Copies of the documents containing the Budget Details of 2017 and 2018 and Status report of Projects as contained in the budgets of 2017 and 2018 indicating the Project type, location, Local Government company/contractor, contract sum, status/level of execution.
The suit was brought pursuant to Order 34 Rule 1 (1) (a) and Rule 5(1) of the Federal High Court ( Civil Procedure) Rules 2019; Section 20 of the Freedom of Information Act 2011 and the inherent jurisdiction of the Court.
The Applicant relied on series of letters earlier written to the Intervention Agency to provide necessary information on Projects which were not replied, which necessitated the Court action.
In recent times OSOPADEC has come under serious attack from Oil Communities who believe that the Agency has fallen short of it’s Mandate to the Mandate areas.