The Amalgamated Arewa Youth Groups (AAYG) have called on the Federal Government to respect the Federal High Court judgment reinstating Senator Ifeanyi Araraume as the Non-Executive Chairman of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). The judgment held that Araraume’s removal by President Buhari contravened the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 and the Company’s and Allied Matters Act 2020.
The group has urged all stakeholders to respect the judiciary’s decision and work towards the progress and development of the nation. They emphasized that the NNPCL plays an important role in the national economy, and the company cannot continue to exist without a properly constituted board.
Comrade Aminu Abbas, the director of media and publicity of the group, addressed a press conference at the Arewa House in Kaduna on Monday, stating that the judgment was based on the facts presented before the court and the relevant laws governing the matter. He further added that the judiciary is an independent arm of government that operates on the principles of fairness, justice, and the rule of law.
The group acknowledged that Senator Araraume has a track record of serving Nigeria without any negative incidents, having been elected twice to represent his constituents in the Senate and appointed by President Buhari to the Board of the Nigerian Communications Commission. He underwent security checks by the Department of State Security Service and the Nigerian Police Force, which cleared him for the appointment.
The AAYG has also called on those in the NNPCL Board sponsoring different groups to discount the orders and judgment of the court to desist from doing so, as it won’t fold its arms and watch the judiciary being intimidated from doing its work. They equally called on those who are aggrieved by the ruling of the Federal High Court to take advantage of the Appeal and Supreme Courts to ventilate their disagreement with the judgment.
In conclusion, the AAYG urged President Buhari to clear all hurdles so that Senator Araraume can resume office and summon board meetings to possibly ratify resolutions that were taken while he was in court seeking redress. The group also stated that resorting to court bashing is embarrassing the country in the comity of nations and should be discontinued forthwith.