The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, awarded N5 billion as damages against President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) for illegal removal of Senator Ifeanyi Ararume.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, however, restored Ararume as the non-executive Chairman of NNPCL.
Recall that President Buhari sacked Ararume January 17, 2023.
Ararume then dragged Buhari before the court praying it to declare his removal as the NNPCL chief illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional and that it was a total breach of CAMA law under which the NNPCL was incorporated.
Furthermore, he prayed the court to issue an order to return him to office and also demanded N100 billion as compensation for the damages he suffered nationally and internationally.
Delivering judgement, Justice Ekwo voided Arume’s sacking and awarded N5bn as damages against Buhari and the NNPCL, to be paid for the disruption of Arume’s appointment on the ground that the action of the President was arbitrary, unlawful and illegal.
The justice ordered that Ararume be immediately restored to office as the non-executive chairman of the NNPCL.
The judge also declared as null and void all decisions of the Board of Directors of the NNPCL carried out in the absence of Ararume.
Justice Ekwo held that Buhari acted ultra vires, wrongful, illegal, null and void in the ways and manners Ararume was sacked after using his name to register the NNPCL and that such an act could not stand in the face of the law.
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
$2.8bn Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline project at 43 percent completion — Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday said the $2.8billion Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano AKK natural gas pipeline project, is currently at 43 per cent completion…
A commercial bike rider, Yusuf Hassan, whose relationship with a single mother of one, Busayo Falola, turned sour, leading him to an alleged attempt to set her ablaze, has said that he only wanted to destroy her property out of bitterness over her calling it quits with him…
Couple returning from vigil abducted in Osun
A yet-to-be-identified couple were reportedly abducted along Osogbo-Iragbiji road by some unknown gunmen while returning from a vigil in the wee hours of Saturday…
Liverpool’s Alexander-Arnold hits career milestone with 50th Premier League assist
Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold marked his 50th Premier League assist of his career during their 6-1 win against Leeds on Monday night…
FLATOUT: Awolowo and his modern-day ‘disciples’
“…I do not stand here as the man who gave your land to the people of Idanre. I stand here as your servant, the servant of all children of Oduduwa in Nigeria. What we have planned is for the good of your children and therefore your own good too…
EDITORIAL: The five-year service bill on doctors
THE penchant for treating the symptoms rather than the disease itself seems to know no boundaries in Nigeria’s official circles. The government, whether it is the executive or the legislative arm, is always looking for the easiest, albeit often the costliest, way out of any national challenge, and it does so in a manner that does not resolve the main issue…
