Court Dismisses Suit Against A-G, 14 Others

Part of Okehi HIgh Court gutted by fire last Monday

A Port Harcourt High Court, presided over by Hon. Justice S.H. Aprioku has dismissed the suit filed by Elder Fyneface Nsiegbe and four others for lack of merit.

Justice Aprioku who delivered his judgment in Port Harcourt recently declared that by virtue of the Rumuwoji Community constitution, in the absence of a substantive Eze Obomotu (Paramount Ruler) of Rumuwoji Community, it is the Nye-Nwe-Eli of Rumuwoji (the fourth defendant) that is entitled to perform the functions of the paramount ruler as the accredited leader of Rumuwoji community.

The suit, which has the Attorney-General of Rivers State as the 1st defendant, the Hon. Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Charles Akaye, as the 2nd defendant also has Chief John Dike as the fourth (4th) defendant, Shell Petroleum Development Co. Nig. Ltd, as the 3rd defendant and 11 others.

Justice Aprioku-Judge, ordered that the claimants not being the accredited leaders of Rumuwoji Community are not entitled to submit any list of persons or names to the 1st to the 3rd defendants as accredited representatives of the Rumuwoji Community Trust and Greater Port Harcourt Cluster Development  Development Board to operate the GMoU entered, into between the 3rd defendant and the Rumuwoji Community.

He declared that the purported inauguration of the claimants into membership of the Rumuwoji Community Trust and purported submission of their names to the 3rd defendant as accredited representatives of the Rumuwoji Community, is wrongful, utra vires, illegal, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.

The judge granted order of injunction, restraining the claimants whether by themselves, their servants, agents or privies from parading themselves as accredited representatives of Rumuwoji Community Trust and Greater Port Harcourt Cluster Development Board to represent Rumuwoji Community.

Justice Aprioku-Judge, also granted an order of injunction restraining the claimants whether by themselves, their servants or privies from howsoever interfering, intermeddling or usurping the rights and powers of Rumuwoji Community acting through its accredited leadership to nominate or appoint persons as its representatives for inauguration into the Rumuwoji Community Trust and Greater port Harcourt Cluster Development Board.

He ordered the sum of N300,000 against the claimant as damages and cost of the suit.

Chidi Enyie