Alleged Unlawful Appointment: Court To Decide Fate Of NDDC Chairman, Ebie October 31

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed October 31 to deliver a ruling as well as judgement in a suit seeking the sack of the chairman of the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr Chiedu Ebie.

The plaintiffs, Niger Delta communities, dragged NDDC and its chairman before the court over an alleged wrongful appointment.

The court fixed the date for both ruling and judgement on Tuesday, shortly after parties in the suit adopted their written addresses as their arguments for and against the originating summons.

Recall that some Niger Delta communities had sued President Bola Tinubu for allegedly violating the NDDC’s Act by appointing Ebie as NDDC Board chairman.

The plaintiffs from Bayelsa and Delta States communities had told the court that Ebie was not qualified to occupy the seat of Board Chairman and had not come from “the oil-producing area with the highest quantum of oil production”.

Those who filed the suit include Chief Goodnews Gereghewei, Chief Eddy Brayei and Mr Jonah Engineyouwei, who sued on behalf of themselves and the Bisangbene, Agge and Amatu1 communities in Ekeremor local government area of Bayelsa State.