By Akinwale Kasali
Many Deltans are celebrating the sacking of the Interim Management Committee, IMC, of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. For months, many stakeholders in the region had protested against the IMC, calling it an abbreration. Most vocal, among others, were Professor Itse Tsage, and Chief Edwin Clerk.
The grouse was that the IMC had no place in the NDDC. Incidentally, President Muhammadu Buhari had nominated and sent the names of subsantive Board Members to the Senate for confirmation. They were duly confirmed by the Senate but the President refused to inaugurate the Board, allegedly on the advice of the Minister for Niger Delta, Senator Godswill Akpabio who preferred the setting up of the IMC to undertake a forensic audit of the Commission.
Even though the Senate protested, the Board was never inaugurated. And nothing has been heard of the forensic audit till date.
But on Thursday, an FCT Federal High Court suspended the IMCÂ led by Prof Kemebradikumo Pondei.
The Court by its interim order restrained Pondei, Dr Cairo Ojougboh, and others from performing the functions of the Board of NDDC.
Aside from suspending the Committee the court further granted leave to the applicant, Incorporated Trustees of Forum for Accountability and Good Governance (FAGG), to apply for judicial review for an order of mandamus compelling the Independent Corrupt Practice and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to investigate Akpabio and members of the Board over allegations of N3 billion contract fraud.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed, also granted leave to the applicant to apply for a judicial review of the power of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or the Minister of the Niger Delta to appoint Prof Pondei, Dr Ojougboh and others in an interim capacity.
The orders are contained in an enrolled order of the court dated November 5, 2020.
By this order of the Court, the members of the NDDC Board are restrained from performing the functions of the Board pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice which is fixed for December 8.
Meanwhile, the applicant has expressed worry that despite the restraining order, the defendants were still in total disobedience of it and have been going to their offices and performing the functions of the Board of the Commission.
The plaintiff also urged that the most senior civil servant or administrator in the Commission be appointed while praying that the suspended officers be stopped from accessing the Commission’s offices and files as they could tamper with evidence which could be used by the ICPC in its probe.
Parties joined in the suit are the Attorney General of the Federation, the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Honourable Minister of the Niger Delta, Prof Kemebradikumo Pondei, Dr Cairo Ojougboh, Dr Joi Nunieh, Mrs Caroline Nagbo, Cecilia Bukola Akintomide and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission.
