….Insist he’s not from oil producing area

By Dayo Johnson

AGGRIEVED members of oil-producing communities in Ondo State have asked a Federal High Court in the state to restrain the Federal Government from recognising a member representing Ondo State on the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Mr. Gbenga Edema.

In the suit filed by the incorporated trustees of Ugboland oil and gas-producing host communities, Jayeola Oladipupo, Adeokan Omofele and Omoyele Irapada, the communities urged the court to restrain Edema from parading himself as a member of the NDDC Governing Board. 

The suit has as defendants the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, the National Assembly, the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Minister of Niger Delta, the Permanent Secretary of Minister of Niger Delta and Edema.

The aggrieved members of the oil-producing communities, through their lawyer, Dr Benson Enikuomehin, had dragged the Federal Government to court over the nomination of Edema as a member of NDDC even though he is not from the oil-producing area of the state.

They said that Edema, who hails from Ogogoro in Ilaje local government, is not qualified to be a member of the agency adding that his community is not an oil-producing area.

At the hearing of the suit, the oil-producing communities asked the court to restrain Edema from participating in any government board meeting or committee meeting of the NDDC, taking any decision whatsoever, either jointly or singly affecting, touching or concerning the duties and office of the representative of the state in the NDDC.

The lawyer to the Niger Delta Ministry, Mr Sadiq and that of Edema, Blessing Aluma sought an extension of time to file their reply and objection to the suit challenging the nomination of the state representative of the NDDC board.

The presiding judge, Justice T.B Adegoke thereafter fixed June 5 for the hearing of the motion of interlocutory application.