Ten civil rights organisations under the aegis of Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), on Monday, backed the reinstatement of Senator Ifeanyi Araraume as the non-executive Chairman of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL).

HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said President Muhammadu Buhari must comply with the order of Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja which reinstated Araraume and set aside all decisions and resolutions of the Board of the NNPCL made in the absence of Araraume from 17th January 2022 till date.

The groups further stated that the sum of N5billion awarded by the court as damages for Araraume’s wrongful removal should 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.

HURIWA 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 President Buhari acted ultra vires of his powers.

It said Justice Ekwo held that the President's decision to remove Araraume was wrongful, illegal, null, and void.

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. The President, in his U-turn, appointed Senator Margret 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 asking it 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 President Buhari's action was grossly unconstitutional.

Aside from the fact that the Presidency has said that the reinstatement would be challenged in court, some mushroom civil society groups, sponsored by persons angry by the reinstatement of Araraume, started a smear campaign against Araraume and hinted at a protest against the judgment in Abuja next week.

The statement reads in part: “We, in: HURIWA, Association of African Writers on Human and Peoples Rights(AFRIWRITE), Initiative For Transparency and Social Rights, Organisation For Promotion Of Child Rights, Support Democracy Group, Initiative For Peace And Accountability, Youths Supporting Youth For Rule of Law, hail the reinstatement of Senator Ifeanyi Araraume as NNPC Limited Non-Executive Chairman by the Court and 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 (removal of Ararume) 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 by 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).

“We must state here that the NNPCL Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, has no hand in all of these because the decision of President Buhari is political and never followed prescribed steps by CAMA. So NNPC's CEO is not funding these misplaced attacks but someone within the new NNPCL who has lost out because of the well considered judgment is the one buying phantom and amorphous groups to attack the judgment and the plaintiffs.”