Ms Lauretta Onochie
Onochie in fresh trouble, risks jail term, as court stops inauguration of NDDC Board
Barely days after confirmation by the senate during its plenary, newly-appointed Substantive Chairman of Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Ms Lauretta Onochie, the former aide to President Muhammadu Buhari, is now at risk of being jailed for contempt of a court order if her planned inauguration holds.
The senate had earlier confirmed Onochie as Substantive NDDC Chairman, after her nomination alongside 12 other nominees as members of the Board by President Buhari.
However, with days left for the formal inauguration of the Board, a Federal High Court in Abuja, Friday warned that she risks going to jail for contempt, as it had earlier granted an order stopping the National Assembly from screening and confirming the nomination of Ms Onochie and Chief Samuel Ogbuku, as Chairman and Managing Director of the NDDC, respectively.
In a notice of consequences of disobedience to the order of the court dated 23rd day of December 2022, the court passed directions to Buhari, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, the National Assembly, Onochie and Ogbuku on the consequences of flouting an earlier restraining order even as it stopped the inauguration of the new NDDC board.
“Take notice that unless you obey the directions contained in this order, you will be guilty of contempt of court and will be liable to be committed to prison” and with it the court put a stop to the inauguration of the board of the NDDC as confirmed by the Senate.
The presiding judge, Justice J. K. Omotosho, instructed that all actions on the matter be suspended pending the determination of the suit.
Chief Edward Ekpoko, and Engineer Victor Wood, who are representing the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, and Mr. Edward Omagbemi, who is representing Omadino Unity Forum all, on behalf of the Itsekiri ethnic nationality of Delta State are seeking whether upon the proper construction of Section 12 (1) and other enabling sections of the Niger Delta Development Commission ( Establishment Etc) Act 2000 as amended and the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) it is not the turn of the Itsekiri Ethnic Nationality of Delta State, the highest oil producing region of the Delta State to produce the next chairman and managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The plaintiffs are seeking a declaration that the nomination of Onochie, who hails from a non-oil producing area in Delta State as Chairman of NDDC by President Buhari is unlawful for being contrary to the intent and purpose of NDDC Act.
They are also seeking a declaration that the nomination of Chief Samuel Ogbuku, who hails from Bayelsa State as Managing Director of NDDC by President Buhari, when it is the turn of the Itsekiri Ethnic Nationality of Delta State to produce the Managing Director of the Commission, is unlawful for being contrary to the intent and purpose of the NDDC Act.
Particularly, they are seeking an order quashing the nomination of Onochie and Ogbuku as Chairman and Managing Director as well as restraining the President of the Senate and the Senate of the National Assembly from screening and confirming Onochie and Ogbuku as Chairman and Managing Director respectively.
The matter was adjourned to January 11, 2023, for further hearing.
