Oil Producing Communities: Falana Asks Court To Replace NDDC Director With Ondo Indigene

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has been urged to order the removal of the sole administrator of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Effiong Akwa and replace him with an Indigene of Ondo state.

Femi Falana SAN filed the 2022 application on behalf of Ilaje Advancement Forum and Babatunde Iwalokun against President Muhammadu Buhari, Senate, House of Representatives, Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Effiong Okon Akwa (5th defendant).

In the affidavit in support deposed to by Iwalokun, a trustee of the forum and an indigene of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, he maintained that Ondo is a member of the Niger Delta Development Commission, “by virtue of the quantum of oil being exploited and produced from communities within Ilaje.”

The plaintiffs argued that appointment into the role of NDDC Managing Director is rotational among member states but added that the position has been held by the South South region since its establishment in 2001.

‘Rivers and Akwa Ibom states have produced the Managing Director of the Commission at various times with the last occupier of the office coming from Akwa Ibom. Being the 5th largest producer of oil among the nine oil producing states of the Niger Delta , it is now time for an indigene of the oil producing area of Ondo State, in accordance with the principle of rotation specified in Section 12(1) of the Act to produce the Managing Director of the Commission,” the plantiffs stated in their written address.

As such, Falana is partly praying the court for the following orders:

“An order of this honorable court voiding the appointment of the 5th defendant as sole administrator of the NDDC for being unlawful and ultra vires (beyond one’s legal authority) the powers of the 1st defendant (President Buhari).

“An order of this honorable court directing the 1st defendant to forthwith appoint an indigene of the oil producing area of Ondo state as the Managing Director of NDDC in compliance with the rotational principle mandatorily specified in Section 12 (1) of the NDDC Establishment Act 2000.”

The court fixed May 24 for hearing on the application.