Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Ex-agitators under the aegis of Niger Delta Amnesty Beneficiary Forum, have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to probe the Federal Ministry of Justice, following abrupt transfer of legal officers attached to the Presidential Amnesty Programme, who were handling a N3.8billion lawsuit.
The ex-agitators, speaking in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, said the probe should be centred on the motive behind the transfer authorised by the Solicitor-General and the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Beatrice Jeddy-Agba.
The National Coordinator, NDABF, James Okori, alleged that the sudden transfer was meant to frustrate PAP from filing proper defence against 15 companies accused of involvement in the 2019 looting of the N60bn amnesty training centre located in Kaiama, Bayelsa.
Okori said they were suspecting that the officials were sabotaging the legal battle instead of supporting the legal representation of PAP against the N3.8billion suit filed by the accused companies with 21 percent post judgement fee and special damages, which could run up to N8billion.
“We are calling on President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Security Adviser, the ICPC, EFCC, and DSS to investigate the officials of the Federal Justice Ministry over their alleged role in removing the legal adviser and other legal officers from the Amnesty office.
“We suspect that these officials may have been compromised by the accused companies. The removal of the legal officers attached to the Presidential Amnesty office at this moment of such suit by the accused showed an alleged sabotage against the amnesty office from defending themselves against the N3.8billion lawsuit brought against the amnesty office by the 15 companies.
“The legal suit was for alleged unexecuted contracts during the tenure of the former Amnesty Coordinator, Prof. Charles Dokubo which allegedly led to the five days looting of the N60billion Amnesty training complex in Boro-town, Kaiama, Bayelsa state in February 2019.
“Presently, the Amnesty office does not have a legal adviser or competent legal representative. We strongly support the 124 amnesty beneficiaries that have filed cases against these 15 companies in two Federal High courts in Abuja.
“The public must know that five companies out of the fifteen companies that are suing the amnesty office are allegedly not registered with the corporate affairs commission. They are suing for N3.8billion, plus 21 percent post – judgement, and they are also requesting for special damages which can go as high as N5billion to N8billion.”
Okori appealed to Buhari not allow those saddled with the responsible of defending the federal government and any of its agencies from reneging from their oath of office and loyalty to the country and the good work of his administration.
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