By Kolawole Ojebisi
A plot to oust the Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chiedu Ebie, through legal means has failed.
This is as a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has refused an application to terminate the NDDC’s helmsman’s appointment, eliciting excitement amongst Ebie’s supporters and allies.
The presiding judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, on Friday, dismissed a suit by some oil-producing communities in Bayelsa and Delta states against President Bola Tinubu over Ebie’s appointment.
According to the judge, the suit had become statute-barred as the action was filed three months after the appointment, which is outside the time provided by law.
The communities had approached the court to nullify what they termed as “Tinubu’s illegal appointment in the NDDC.”
According to the communities, President Tinubu’s appointee, Mr Ebie, was not qualified to head the board of the NDDC since he is not from “the oil-producing area with the highest quantum of oil production” and thus the appointment was in breach of the NDDC provisions.
The suit had joined President Tinubu, the Senate President, the Attorney-General of the Federation, and the NDDC as defendants.
The suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/28/2024, was initially brought before the court by three oil-producing communities in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State such as Bisangbene, Agge and Amatu1- through their leaders, Chief Goodnews Gereghewei, Chief Eddy Brayei and Mr Jonah Engineyouwei.
