The Abuja division of the Federal High Court has clarified that it never made an order sacking the Prof. Dabiel Pondei led Interim management committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The clarification was made by Justice Ahmed Mohammed who said the court only granted leave to the applicants to commence legal actions against interim management board of the NDDC.
Meanwhile, the court has already struck out the suit after the plaintiff, the Incorporated Trustees of Forum for Accountability and Good Governance withdrew the action.
It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had on December 12, 2020, acting on the strength of the purported court order, directed the Prof. Pondei led IMC to step aside for an interim sole administrator to take over the affairs of the NDDC.
However, the Justice Muhammed-led Court insisted that the NDDC IMC was never dismissed.
The court stated that, “that there was no order for interim injunction (against the IMC) granted by this court”.
The court also ordered in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/617/2020 that two media houses correct the misleading story.
Court papers sighted by The Heritage Times explained that the leave sought by the plaintiffs did not amount to an injunction but permission to sue which was allowed but now stands struck out by subsequent findings of the court in January, 2021.
Despite the latest position of the court, it is not clear if President Buhari would reinstate the Prof Pondei-led IMC of NDDC since the president was earlier advised by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to sack the interim management.
However, sources hinted that the Presidency might be working to act on the latest judgement of the court since it has been entered into the records.
