Alleged N100b fraud: Ararume suit against Buhari removal as NNPC Chair stalled

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

Improper service of court papers, yesterday, stalled hearing in the  N100bn suit Senator Ifeanyi Godwin Ararume filed against President Muhammadu Buhari’s removal as NNPC chairman.

Specifically the amended originating summons meant for the newly Incorporated Nigeria National Petroleum Company, (NNPC) was served on Federal Ministry of Justice instead 

When the matter was called up, yesterday, counsel to the NNPC, Oluseye Opasanya, SAN, informed Justice Inyang Ekwo that all his processes were filed based on the initial originating summons.

According to him, the initial originating summons ordered to be amended to accommodate the Corporate Affairs Commission CAC as a defendant in the suit was not served on him.

Responding, counsel to Ararume, Chief Chris Uche SAN disagreed with the claims of the counsel to NNPC adding that the amended originating summons has been served on all parties in the matter.

However, a search for proof of service in the case by the court, showed that the service of the originating summons was on the Federal Ministry of Justice and not on the NNPC.

This prompted the NNPC lawyer to volunteer to link up with the Ministry to pick up the amended originating summons and re-file his processes to accommodate CAC as one of the defendants.

Justice Ekwo subsequently shifted definite hearing in the suit till January 11 next year to enable parties amend their processes to accommodate the Corporate Affairs Commission.

He warmed that all counsel involved in the matter must file and exchange all their processes before the adjourned date adding that any counsel who fail to adhere to the warning would be personally penalized by the court.

Recall that Ararume had last month slammed a N100 billion on President Buhari over his alleged unlawful removal as a non-Executive Chairman of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company, (NNPC).

He is demanding the sum as damages caused him in the alleged unlawful manner he was removed as the NNPC Chief after using his name to incorporate the entity.

The suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/691/2022 was instituted on his behalf by a group of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) comprising Chief Chris Uche, Ahmed Raji, Mahmud Magaji, Ogwu James Onoja, Kingsley Nwufor and Gordy Uche.

In the charge sheet, four issues were posed for determination by the court among which was whether in view of the provisions of the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the NNPC, Companies and Allied Matters Act 2010 and the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, the office of the non-Executive Chairman is not governed and regulated by the stated provisions of the law.