Court hears suit against exclusion of Ondo indigene as NDCC MD today

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

The Federal High court, Abuja, will today, August 5, hears the suit challenging the exclusion of an indigene of oil producing area of Ondo state in the appointment of the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)by the President Muhammadu Buhari.
The plaintiffs, Registered Trustees of Irene -Odo Progressive Union and Myson Adeyemi Nejo, contested that appointment into the position of the Managing Director of the NDCC should be on rotational basis amongst the oil producing member states of the Commission in the order of production quantum.
By the suit, the plaintiffs wants to know if any constitution of the Board of the NDCC which excludes an indigene of an oil producing area of Ondo State as Managing Director is legal, lawful and in accordance with the extant law establishing the said Commission.
The suit was premised on Section 8(A) and 12(1) of Niger Delta Development Commission (Establishment) Act 2000 and in the matter of the appointment in the office of the NDCC.
The charge suit mentioned the Sanete, the House of Representatives and the Attorney General of the Federation(AGF) as defendants.
In the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/ CS/156/2021, the plaintiffs maintained that among the oil producing companies, it is the turn of Ondo State to produce the Managing Director of the Commission, adding that the 1st Defendant can not appoint anyone as the Managing Director of the Commission who is not an indigene of an oil producing area of Ondo State.
They are further asking whether the purported appointment of any person other than an of indigene of an oil producing area of Ondo State is not unconstitutional, unlawful, null and void for being in conflict with and in wanton violation of the principle of rotation mandatorily specified in the provision mentioned above.
Also, they want the court to determine if the appointment of the Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami SAN (AGF)as Sole Administrator of the NDCC, not in violation of the extant provisions of sections 2(1) and 8(a) of the NDDC Act which devolves the administration of the Niger-Delta Development Commission.
Upon the determination of the above, the plaintiffs want the court to give an order stating that the appointment of the MD of the NDCC is by rotation among the oil producing member states of the commission.
An order directing the 1st defendant to forthwith constitute the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission in compliance with the provisions of sections 2(1) and 8(a) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (Establishment) Act 2000.