By Sunday Okobi
Human rights lawyer, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, on Monday filed
a suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja challenging the exclusion of the
South-east geopolitical zone in Board of Directors appointments of the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
Agbakoba had on behalf of the Human Rights Law
Service (HURILAWS), called on the Federal Character Commission (FCC) to compel
the federal government to implement Federal Character Principle in appointment
of members of the board of directors of the NNPC.
In a letter to the acting Chairman of FCC, Dr.
Shettima Abba, dated September 9, HURILAWS noted that three members of the
Board are from the North-East while the South-east has no representation. It
then threatened that if the matter is not redressed after seven days, the group
will initiate legal proceedings.
Agbakoba, in a statement made available to Yellowstone, alleged that the
appointment made by the federal government contravenes the provisions of S.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.
He requested the Abuja Division of the Federal High
Court to declare the lopsided appointments of NNPC Board members against the
South-east zone as unconstitutional, null and void.
Meanwhile, no date has been fixed for the hearing of
the suit.
No comments:
Post a Comment