OLISA Agbakoba, SAN, a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has sued the federal government for allegedly discriminating against the South-East geopolitical zone in its July 5, 2016 appointment into the board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.

Agbakoba, in the suit filed before the federal high court in Abuja, alleged that the federal government, on July 5, 2016 appointed nine persons into the NNPC board but none of them was from the South-East.

Hence, Agbakoba argued that the failure top appoint anyone from the South East was a clear demonstration of the government’s bias against the five South-Eastern states of Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo and Abia.

He named those appointed as thus: Tajuddeen Umar from the North-East; Maikanti Baru (North-East);  Abba Kyari (North- East); Mahmoud Isa-Dutse (North-Central), Mohammed Lawal; Yusuf Lawal; Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu (South-South); Thomas M.A. John (South-South) and Pius O. Akinyelure (South-West).

Consequently, Agbakoba, who is from Anambra State, is seeking a court declaration that the federal government violated the constitutional rights of the five south-eastern states to freedom from discrimination which is enshrined in Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution.

The appointment, he argued, also violated Section 4(1)(a) of the Federal Character Commission (Establishment, etc.) Act.

The respondents in the suit are the Attorney General of the Federation, NNPC and the Federal Character Commission.

Hence, Agbakoba wants the court to declare that “the appointment made on July 5, 2016, violates the principle of democracy, social justice and Federal Character prescribed by Section 14(1) and (13) of the 1999 Constitution.”

Besides, he wants the court to make an order of perpetual injunction “restraining the Federal Government of Nigeria as represented by the 1st respondent from further violation of the constitution and other laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, including the Federal Character Commission (Establishment, etc.) Act in the appointment of members of the board of the 2nd respondent.”

Agbakoba said: “I want the honourable court to, in the interest of justice, enforce the fundamental right of freedom from discrimination of the entire Nigerians indigenous to the states in the South-East geopolitical Zone, comprising of Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo and Abia states, to afford every Nigerian equal opportunity, based on merit, in appointments into the board of the 2nd respondent.”

– Oct 10, 2017 @ 11:17 GMT /