By Deborah Onyofufeke
Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday reversed President Muhammadu Buhari’s sack of Senator Ifeanyi Godwin Ararume as non Executive Chairman of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited NNPCL.
The court In its judgment also awarded the sum of N5Bn against president Buhari and NNPCL to be paid to Ararume as damages for his wrongful sack and disruption of his appointment.
Justice Ekwo ordered that Ararume be immediately restored to office as non Executive Chairman of the NNPCL.
Ararume’s sack was voided by the court and he’s removal which was done on January 17, 2023 by President Muhammadu Buhari set aside by the court on the grounds that the action of the President was arbitrary, unlawful and illegal.
The Judge also declared as null and void all decisions of the Board of Directors of the NNPCL carried out in the absence of Ararume.
Justice Ekwo held that Buhari acted ultra vires, wrongful, illegal, null and void in the ways and manners Ararume was sacked after using his name to register NNPCL and that such brazen act cannot stand in the face of the law.
Ararume had dragged Buhari before the Court praying it to declare his removal as NNPC Chief illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional and that it is a total breach of CAMA law under which NNPCL was incorporated.
Ararume also asked the court to issue an order to return him to office, demanding N100 billion as compensation for the damages he suffered nationally and internationally in the unlawful way and manner his removal was carried out by President Buhari.
