Northern Groups Differ Over Court Judgment Reinstating Ararume as NNPC Chairman

•HURIWA: Why Buhari must obey court order

Alex Enumah in Abuja and John Shiklam in Kaduna

The Amalgamated Arewa Youth Group (AAYG) and the Coalition of Arewa Civil Society Groups (CACSG) have disagreed over the reinstatement of Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, as the non-Executive Chairman of Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

This was just as civil rights advocacy groups made up of 10 credible organisations under the aegis of Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), yesterday, said President Muhammadu Buhari must comply with the order of court reinstating Araraume.

Ararume was recently reinstated by a federal high court Abuja, after his removal by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The CACSG had while reacting to the judgment reinstating Ararume, expressed its displeasure, saying the pronouncement of the court was a usurpation of the duties of the office of the president and an affront to the powers of Buhari.

However, addressing a press conference yesterday, in Kaduna, Director, Media and Publicity, AAYG, Aminu Abbas, said the judgment of the Abuja Federal High Court, delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo was based on facts presented and the relevant laws.

He said, the judge held that Araraume’s removal by Buhari contravened provisions of the extant laws governing the operations of the NNPC Ltd, including the  Petroleum Industry Act 2021 as well as the Company’s and Allied Matters Act 2020.

“The judge consequently made an order reinstating Araraume as the Non-Executive Chairman of the NNPC Ltd Board with immediate effect.  “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’.

The group maintained that “The judge made an unambiguous order nullifying all actions and decisions taken by the NNPCL Board since January 17, 2022, when Araraume was wrongfully removed as non-executive chairman.

“It is important to note that the judiciary is an independent arm of government that operates on the principles of fairness, justice, and the rule of law.

Abbas said, “it is not appropriate for the CACSG or any other group or persons 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.”

He said the judgment of the court should be respected and seen as a step towards strengthening the rule of law in Nigeria.

Abbas called one stakeholders to abide by the decision of the court and work towards the progress and development of the nation.

According to the group, Araraume has a track record of serving Nigeria without any negative incidents.

“He was elected twice to represent his constituents in the Senate and was appointed by President Buhari to the Board of the Nigerian Communications Commission.

“He underwent security checks by the Department of State Security Service and the Nigerian Police Force, which cleared him for the appointment.

“People who have served our country deserve all the support they need. Our youth should shield themselves from being used as pawns in the power tussle that lacks legitimacy.

“We, therefore, wish to call on President Buhari to clear all hurdles so that Senator Araraume can resume office, and summon board meetings…

The group also called 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 group further called on those who are aggrieved by the ruling of the court to take advantage of the Appeal and Supreme Courts to ventilate their disagreement and stop unnecessary campaign media campaign against the judgment.

HURIWA: Why Buhari Must Obey Court Order on Ararume 

Meanwhile, HURIWA, yesterday, said Buhari must comply with the order of court reinstating Senator Araraume. The group spoke at a press briefing in Abuja.

Emmanuel Onwubiko, who spoke on behalf of the group, carpeted the Presidency for saying that the judgment of the court on the reinstatement of Araraume would be challenged by the NNPC after Justice Ekwo held that Buhari acted ultra vires of his powers.

Besides, the group further stated that the sum of N5 billion awarded by the court as damages for Araraume’s wrongful removal must be swiftly paid because going by Section 63 (3) of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 and Section 288 of Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020, the Senator cannot be removed in the manner he was removed by the President on January 17, 2022.

Buhari had in January 2022 dropped Araraume as NNPC Board Chairman, a few months after he announced him as the company’s chairman in September 2021. But the President had appointed Senator Margrey Chuba-Okadigbo, wife of the late former President of the Senate, Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, to replace Araraume and to represent the South-East.

However, Araraume approached the court to declare his removal illegal not after the NNPC used his name to register NNPCL as a director and simultaneously as Board Chairman and that such brazen act cannot stand in the face of the law.

The court, last week, ruled in favour of Araraume and reinstated him because Buhari’s action was grossly unconstitutional.

Reacting, Onwubiko, who is the National Coordinator of the group in conjunction with the Association of African Writers on Human and Peoples Rights (AFRIWRITE); Initiative for Transparency and Social Rights, Organisations for Promotion of Child Rights; Support Democracy Group; Initiative for Peace and Accountability; Youths Supporting Youth for Rule of Law, hailed the reinstatement of Araraume as NNPC Limited Non-Executive Chairman by the court.

“We demand swift obedience to rule of law because the appointment of Araraume to head the new NNPC which was backed up by CAMA was violated aggressively by President Muhammadu Buhari who dropped his name after he had been announced and had even started work.

“This is a clear breach of the Petroleum Industry Act which primarily seeks to end political and government interferences in the administration of the NNPC which by the new registration under CAMA ceases to be a corporation run hy government but a company limited by shares and registered under CAMA.

 “The attempt to make the victory of Araraume to appear like he is fighting President Buhari is wrong. Why should Araraume not seek legal redress when his fundamental right to fair hearing under section 36(5) of the constitution was breached?

“We condemn any form of procured attack by fake civil society groups targeting the court judgment and condemn the futile time-wasting exercise by government to head to Appeal Court without first complying with the judgment which is binding and the enrolled order already served on the parties by the litigant/plaintiff (in this case Araraume),” Onwubiko said.

The coalition reminded Buhari of the primacy of Rule of Law without which any nation deteriorates in standards of governance and nosedive into the abyss of anarchy and doom.

“To finish on a clean slate, President Buhari must prioritise the Rule of Law and take concrete steps to address any perceived or actual violations of it, such as the blatant attempt to deny citizen Ifeanyi Ararume of his legally protected fundamental rights and freedom from arbitrary removal from a lawfully guaranteed job,” he said.