Ogoni communities in Rivers State that were affected by the 1970 oil spillage have filed a contempt charge against the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN), Godwin Emiefele, over his alleged refusal to okay the payment of N17billion judgement debt against the oil giant, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited.
In the contempt proceedings initiated before the Federal High Court in Abuja, they claimed that accrued interest from the judgement sum that was awarded in their favour by the Supreme Court after litigation that lasted over 30 years, currently stands at N182billion.
The communities, through their lawyer, Lucius Nwosu, are praying the court to summon the CBN governor to show cause why he should not be committed to prison over his refusal to honour a garnishee order that directed the withdrawal of the judgement debt from the account of First Bank Plc which was Shell’s guarantor.
Meanwhile, when the matter came up before the high court on Wednesday, though Emiefele was absent in court, his lawyer, Damien Dodo, said the absence of his client in court was not out of disrespect, assuring that the CBN governor “will do the needful at the appropriate time”.
However, counsel to the Applicants, Nwosu, urged the court to summon the CBN governor to personally appear for the proceeding, stressing that the charge against him is quasi-criminal in nature.
On its part, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, which was represented by Olawale Akoni, informed the court that it filed a motion for dismissal of the contempt charge.
Justice Taiwo Taiwo subsequently adjourned the matter to January 27, 2021.
It will be recalled that the Supreme Court had in a judgement on November 27, dismissed an application Shell filed to set-aside the verdict that ordered it to pay N17bn to the communities affected by the oil spillage.
The apex court, in a unanimous decision by a five-man panel for Justices led by Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vovour, held that the application the oil giant brought for a review of the judgement that was entered against it in 2019, lacked merit.
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