Alleged Racism: Stop Parading Yourself as Seplat CEO, Court Tells Brown

Wale Igbintade and Peter Uzoho

Justice Chukwuejekwu Aneke  of the Federal High Court in Lagos has restrained the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Seplat Energy Plc, Mr. Roger Brown from parading himself as the CEO of the company pending the determination of a suit instituted against him and others by aggrieved stakeholders of the company over allegations of racism, favouring of expatriate workers, discrimination against Nigerians, and breach of good governance.
This was just as the oil and gas company, yesterday, debunked reports alleging that Brown, was favouring foreign employees of the company and discriminating against its Nigerian employees.

The Federal High Court also restrained the Chairman, Board of Directors, Mr. Basil Omiyi, and all the Non-Executive Directors under him from, “continuing to run the affairs of Seplat in an illegal, unfair, prejudicial, and oppressive manner pending the hearing and determination of the Petitioner’s Motion on Notice for interlocutory injunction.”

Justice Aneke made order while ruling on a Motion Ex parte brought by some aggrieved stakeholders of Seplat, Moses Igbrude, Sarat Kudaisi, Kenneth Nnabike, Ajani Abidoye, and Robert Ibekwe, the petitioners, against the respondents – Seplat Energy, Brown and Omiyi, in Suit No. FHC/L/402/2023.
In a separate ex parte application, Justice Aneke similarly granted the petitioners leave to serve the petition, any order of court and all other processes to be issued subsequently in the matter on Brown and Omiyi by pasting in the premises if Seplat Energy located at Ikoyi, Lagos.

The court subsequently adjourned to March 23, for hearing of the pending application.
The applicants had in their Motion on Notice filed by their lawyer, Jeph Njikonye, prayed the court for a declaration that the affairs of Seplat were being conducted in a manner that was illegal, oppressive and unfairly prejudicial to the petitioners and other members of Seplat and in total disregard to the interest of the petitioners, other employees, and Seplat as a whole.

They equally sought a declaration that by condoning the unlawful, discriminatory, and abusive conducts of Brown, Omiyi and the Non-executive Directors have, “failed in the discharge of their duties and are unfit to continue to function in the Board of Directors of the 1st Respondent (Seplat).”
Consequently, the petitioners sought, “an order of mandatory injunction restraining the 2nd Respondent (Brown) from parading himself as, or continuing to operate as the CEO of the 1st Respondent (Seplat) or working for Seplat in any other capacity.”
They equally sought an order restraining Seplat and the Board Chairman from retaining Brown as the CEO of Seplat or retaining his services for Seplat in other capacity whatsoever.

To support their case, the aggrieved stakeholders exhibited a petition from the Minister of Interior against Brown by employees of Seplat, as well as a letter by the Minister of Interior communicating the Ministry’s decision on the said petition to the company.
In the March 3, 2023 letter addressed to the Board Chairman of Seplat Energy signed by Mr. Akinola Adesina for the Minister, which was marked as Exhibit B, the Ministry of Interior had conveyed the revocation of Roger Brown’s Work Permit, Visa, and Residence Permit.

The letter read: “I write to inform you that the Ministry is in receipt of a petition from the Solicitor to the concerned workers and stakeholders of Seplat Energy PLC accusing Mr. Rogers Thomson Brown, the CEO of the companies of various allegations.
“These accusations include racism, favouring foreign workers and discriminating against Nigerian employees. Testimony was received from several witnesses, which supported the allegations. Mr. Roger T. Brown declined to attend despite two invitations, claiming to be unavailable even though we learnt he was in Abuja for other purposes at the time.

“Investigation and records in the Ministry also revealed that Mr. Roger Brown was in possession of CERPAC that was not based on validly issued Expatriate Quota approved by the Ministry of Interior resulting to the violation of relevant Immigration Laws and Regulations. As a result of these, the Honourable Minister has determined that Mr. Brown’s continued stay in Nigeria is contrary to national interest.
“Consequently, the Ministry has withdrawn the Work Permit CERPAC, Visa, Residence Permit and all relevant documents that authorised Mr. Roger Thomson Brown’s entry or stay in Nigeria.”
Meanwhile, Seplat Energy has debunked reports alleging that  Brown, was favouring foreign employees of the company and discriminating against its Nigerian employees.

The independent Nigerian oil and gas producer also faulted the claim that Brown was in possession of a Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card (CERPAC) contrary to valid expatriate quota and allegedly failed to honour invitations by a Ministry of Interior’s panel that investigated the matter.
Seplat made the rebuttals in a statement issued yesterday, by its Independent Chairman, Mr. Basil Omiyi, on behalf of the board of the company.
The company maintained that the orchestrated media reports were clearly calculated to spread false information, saying it would be engaging with the ministry to reject the impressions created by the allegations.

The Minister of Interior was reported to have revoked the Work Permit, Visa and Residence Permit of the Seplat CEO over alleged racism, favouring of foreign workers and discrimination against Nigerian employees levelled against him by employees of the company.
The federal government equally accused Brown of being in possession of a CERPAC not based on a valid Expatriate Quota and failed to honour invitations by the Mlministry’s panel, which investigated the matter.        

       
But debunking the allegations, the company in the statement issued both in Lagos and London, stated: “Seplat Energy wishes to refute the false allegations against Mr. Brown, which have been presented to the Ministry of Interior and the public by certain petitioners, and which have not been brought to the attention of Mr. Roger Brown or Seplat Energy for a reaction.

“The orchestrated media reports are clearly calculated to spread false information. Seplat Energy will be engaging with the Ministry to reject the impressions created by these allegations.
 “The Board believes that these allegations are a spurious and vindictive reaction to the enforcement of corporate governance standards in the Company by the Board of Seplat Energy.

“Over the past decade, Mr. Brown has earned an unblemished record of service and leadership in the Company. On 8th March 2023, the Board of Seplat Energy unanimously passed a vote of confidence in Mr. Brown, who continues to discharge his duties and responsibilities as CEO from the SEPLAT UK office.”