A director with the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Mrs Fatima Yakubu, faces a contempt charge before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for allegedly violating court orders.
If found guilty, she would be risking a jail term of two years as punishment for disobedience to the lawful order of the court.
The contempt charge was filed by four staff of the company, who are contributors to the NNPC Multipurpose Cooperative Society.
The four aggrieved staffers had, in a suit marked FCTHC/ABJ/CV/2640/2024, obtained an order from the Abuja High Court which restrained 14 leaders of the NNPC Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society from parading themselves as officers of the Cooperative society.
Justice Charles Agbaza, who issued the order while ruling on an ex-parte application of the four staffers, also stopped the 14 people from taking any step regarding the leadership of the Cooperative Society or holding themselves out as officers of the cooperative.
However, despite the order of the court, Mrs Fatima Yakubu, who is in charge of the Human Resources Department of the NNPC, was alleged to have given the portal of NNPC to the 14 people which they used to carry out a purported election for officers of the Cooperative Society.
However, the contempt charge could not proceed at the proceedings as two lawyers engaged in a fierce legal battle on who should represent the NNPC Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society.
The two lawyers comprising a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Anthony Malik and Andrew Eche, in the open court laid claim and counterclaim to being the valid lawyer to the cooperative society.
In the drama that ensued, the senior lawyer, Anthony Malik, pleaded with the court to give him and the junior lawyer, Andrew Eche, time to settle the issue of legal representation out of court.
Counsel to the aggrieved 4 Staff, George Ibrahim, SAN, from Ogwu James Onoja and Associates, cut in and informed the court that the 14 persons sued are in contempt and cannot have any say until they have purged themselves of the contempt.
The senior lawyer pleaded with the court to resolve the issue of legal representation so as not to delay his clients’ case any further.
On his part, Eche drew the attention of Justice Charles Agbaza to an earlier order for one, Olalekan Ogunbayo, the President of the Cooperative Society, to clear the issue of lawful legal representation for the Cooperative Society and that the person was in court.
Sensing the implications, Malik SAN objected to the move on the grounds that it could lead to ridicule and embarrassment to his person. He insisted that the issue be resolved with the junior lawyer out of court.
In a brief ruling, Justice Charles Agbaza shifted the matter to October 17 for the legal representation issue to be resolved and the substantive issue to be determined.
The four plaintiffs in the suit are Eze Onwuneme, Chamberlin Ajagba, Alhaji Ibrahim Yakubu and Bello Mohammed Garba.
The defendants are Engr Josiah Gbemi Omole, Udo Iboro, Ituah Aikhena, Osondu Ibeji, Farouk Achimugu, Prince Etuwewe, Nura Bello, Micheal Adejoh, Sambo Abdulaziz. Vincent Orji, Saint Kamvene, Braimoh Sunday Joseph and Galadima Immanuel.
The rest are Engr Iliya Yusuf, Musa Garba Abubakar, and NNPC Ltd Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society Abuja.
The plaintiffs had applied for an order nullifying the purported appointment of the 2nd and 3rd defendants as president and general secretary of the 16th defendant and the 4th and 15th defendant as members of the Management Committee.
They also sought an order of injunction restraining the 1st Defendant, his assigns, privies, servants or body or group of persons acting on his behalf from recognising or giving effect to the 2nd-15th defendants as president, general secretary and members of the Management Committee of the 16th defendant.
Besides, they asked the court to issue an order of perpetual injunction restraining the 2nd- 15th defendants and their agents or servants from parading themselves as Management Committee of the 16th defendant.
