Amalgamated Arewa Youth Groups has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to clear all hurdles to enable Sen. Ifeanyi Araraume resume office as non-executive Chairman of NNPCL as ordered by an Abuja High Court judgment.
Justice Inyang Ekwo of an Abuja High Court held that Araraume’s removal by President Buhari contravened the provisions of the extant laws governing the operations of the NNPC Ltd, the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 and the Company’s and Allied Matters Act 2020.
The judge also held that the removal of Araraume without a fair hearing by the president was, “wrong and cannot be tolerated by a court of law”, adding that the “plaintiff has proved his case that he was not legally and properly removed”.
The judge consequently made an order reinstating Araraume as the Non-Executive Chairman of the NNPC Ltd Board with immediate effect and made an unambiguous order nullifying all actions and decisions taken by the NNPCL Board since January 17, 2022, when Senator Araraume was wrongfully removed as non-executive chairman.
The Coalition of Arewa Civil Society Groups in its reaction, condemned the judgment, noting that it viewed the Federal High Court’s pronouncement as usurpation of the duties of Office of the President and an affront to the powers of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The group also claimed that the decision of the court was a clear violation of the principle of separation of powers and a disregard to the authority of the President to make appointments and dismissals in the interest of the nation.
But the Amalgamated Arewa Youth Groups, while addressing the media in Kaduna on Monday, faulted Coalition of Arewa Civil Society Groups for disparaging the Federal High Court judgment that restored Sen. Araraume back to his position, noting that those who are aggrieved by the judgment, should rather seek redress in the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
According to the Director Media and Publicity AAYG, Comrade Aminu Abbas, “we call on President Buhari to clear all hurdles so that Senator Araraume can resume office, and summon board meetings to possibly ratify resolutions that were taken while he was in court, seeking redress. We wish to equally call on those in the NNPCL Board sponsoring different groups to discount the orders and judgment of the court to desist from doing so, as we won’t fold our arms and watch the Judiciary being intimidated from doing its work.
“The judiciary is an independent arm of government that operates on the principles of fairness, justice, and the rule of law. The judgment delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo was based on the facts presented before the court and the relevant laws that govern the matter. It is inappropriate for the Coalition of Arewa Civil Society Groups to accuse the court of usurping the duties of the Office of the President or to suggest that the judgment was an affront to the powers of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The court’s decision should be respected and seen as a step towards strengthening the rule of law in Nigeria. We urge all stakeholders to abide by the decision of the court and work towards the development of the nation. Considering the role the NNPCL plays in our national economy, the all-important company can’t continue to exist without a properly-constituted board.”
