Court grants relief to stop FG from placing NDDC under ministry, end sole administratorship

Admin l Wednesday, 23 March 2022

 

YENEGOA, Bayelsa, Nigeria – A Federal  High Court sitting in Yenegoa, Bayelsa State has granted leave for  an application  seeking to compel the  Federal Government  to dissolve  the current Sole Administrator structure used to run the Niger Delta Commission, NDDC  and desist from placing the commission under any ministry.

The court granted the relief among others,  following an application filed by Miss. Odigbonin Nwadighi Adienbo and 10 others for the publication of the forensic audit report and dissolution of the illegal Sole Administrator of the NDDC before Justice  Isa H.  Dashen.

Listed as applicants are Odighonin Nwadighi Adienbo,  the Integrity Friends of Truth and Peace Initiative,  Peace Ossy, Utibe Benedict, Mrs. Beatrice Iyoung,  Juliana Alagoa,  Loveth Timothy, Loveth Kekghe,  Osaruchi Idumesaro, Modimu Beauty and Hon. Nkechi Umeozor, while the Attorney General of the Federatio is listed as the respondent/defendant.

Ruling on the application, Justice Isa Dashen observed that after hearing Prof. F Emiri, SAN, with O.N. Adienbo, counsel of the applicants ordered as follows:

“That leave is hereby granted to the Application to seek for an order of this Honourable court directing the Respondent to dissolve the current solde administratorship structure used to run  the affairs of the NDDC.

“That the Applicant is granted leave to seek an order of mandamus, directing or compelling the Respondent(FG) to immediately publish the outcome of hte report of the Forensic Audit of the NDDC,

“That leave is granted to the Applicant to seek an Order of mandamus directing and compelling the Respondent to account for all monies that have been accrued to the NDDC from the inception of the Interim or Acting Management, begining  from Prof. Nelson Brambaifa till date.

“That  an order is hereby granted directing the Respondent not to place NDDC under any ministry.

“That ann order of perpetrual injunction  is hereby granted restraining the Defendant from further constituting an Interim/Sole Administorship board to run the affairs fo the NDDC.

“ That this honourable court hereby  directed that the enrolled order of this court together with all processes filed be served on the Respondent to affort the Respondent an opportunity as to why this application should not be granted.

The matter has been fixed for April 5th, 2022