Crisis Rocks OML 42 As Former GM Drags Giant to Court

The doors of the Senate committee on oil and  Gas, the NEITI,  the EFCC  and other relevant agencies may soon be opened to the NESTOIL PLC, 9news Nigeria has learnt.

A Pipeline professional and former General Manager of Oil Mining Lease  42 (OML), Mr. Nnanna Michael has dragged the company to court over wrongful termination of his appointment and other economic sharp practices. Michael, who was the GM, Engineering and Corporate Services of Nestoil, a sister company to NECONDE  Energy, had his appointment terminated because of his patriotic stand against the rot in the system.

The aggrieved GM consequently approached the  National  Industrial Court of Nigeria, Port Harcourt alleging unlawful and malicious termination of his employment and subsequent slander and libel of his reputation.

He further alleged harassments from the police and threat to  his life by the CEO of the Nestoil/NECONDE   Energy  in a suit  No NIN/YEN/163/2016  filed by his counsel, Barrister Austin  Igbedion, adding that the unlawful  termination of his appointment and defamation of his character  was because of his  stand against massive corruption in the company.

These, he further claimed, “ included fraudulent practices, economic sabotage, unethical and criminal procurement practices, and gross oil industry illegalities that were being directed, arranged and executed by the CEO of OML 42 Joint Venture operator, NECONDE Energy through Nestoil.

The Claimant, who alerted that the country may have been losing billions of Naira through the sharp practices, also claimed multi-million naira damages and arrears of accrued salaries for the breaches of his rights, just as he demanded the release of his personal properties seized by the company.

When the case came up in December last year, the counsel to the defendants Mr. Onwujuruba had pleaded for time to file their defense but had failed to do so, four months after.

Ruling on the matter on, Justice Hanman Polycarp granted the defendants adjournment with the cost of N20, 000 against the defendants for failing to file any process and adjourned further hearing to  25^th April 2018.