Senator Ifeanyi Araraume has warned against the appointment of a fresh non-executive chairman for the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
Ararume, who is the recognized chairman of the board stated that the move by President Bola Tinubu is in breach of an order of court.
In a public notice issued recently by his lawyer, Dr Ogwu Onoja, SAN, the former senator stressed that he remains the chairman of the board until ordered otherwise by the court.
“Our attention has been drawn to the news of the appointment of new members of NNPC Limited Board including a new non-executive chairman by the president on the 27th November 2023, in utter violation of the judgment and order of the Federal High Court, Abuja dated 18th April 2023 in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1621/2022 – Between Senator Ifeanyi Godwin Araraume v. The President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, NNPC Ltd and Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) wherein the court restrained the President from removing the name of Senator Ifeanyi Godwin Araraume from the Corporate Affairs Commission as a Non-Executive Director of NNPC Ltd and that he should be allowed to continue to function as the Chairman of the Board of NNPC Ltd. This judgment remains valid and subsisting until this moment without being set aside,” the notice read in part.
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He added, “It is shocking that rather than obey the valid and extant judgment of the court, the president has taken the laws into his hands to overrule the courts and usurp the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeal before whom, the president has filed an appeal which is pending, by taking steps to undermine the judgment by such illegal appointments,” the notice said.
Ararume further demanded a whopping sum of N100 billion as damages due to the unlawful manner he was removed as board chairman, saying his name was used to incorporate the entity.