The former National Secretary of Orluzurume Youth Assembly, Comrade Kyrian Echerebo, yesterday Wednesday June 30 at an Owerri High Court presided over by Justice F. Njemanze secured another landmark judgment mtract SEPLAT Petroleum Development Company Plc an oil company operating in Imo in a celebrated case with Suit No. HOW/295/2011 between Kyrian U. Echerebo and Jisike Regional Development Foundation a body that interferes between Izombe Community and the company which has been lingering since 2011. An earlier judgment had been given in favour of the plaintiff, Comrade Echerebo on June 2014 at High Court 8 presided over by then Justice Ngozi Ukoha.
The oil company (SEPLAT) as Defendant in the suit, not contended with the earlier ruling had gone back to the same court to seek for a stay of execution of the court order and to set aside the earlier judgment.
The case (Kyrian U Echerebo vs Jisike Regional Development Foundation (JRDF) – a body that interferes between Izombe community and the oil company (SEPLAT Petroleum Development Company Plc) was won by the plaintiff Kyrian U Echerebo by June, 2014 at Court 8 Imo State High Court Owerri presided over by the then Judge Justice Ngozi Ukoha.
Subsequently, Order was obtained in December, 2019 at Court 9 presided over by Justice F Njemanze after the retirement of Justice Ngozi Ukoha.
SEPLAT Petroleum Development Company Plc was garnished to pay the plaintiff being Kyrian U Echerebo since it is in custody of JRDF money/fund.
But surprisingly, SEPLAT Petroleum Development Company Plc has resisted effecting the payment for no cogent reason.
They filed an application in court demanding that court should not have made the Order absolute. After looking at their affidavit and application in support of that and the counter affidavit submitted by the plaintiff’s lawyer, Barr Don Oweregbulem together with their oral presentation, the presiding Judge Justice F Njemanze ruled on 11/05/2020 that the Order is made Absolute.
As if that is not enough, SEPLAT Petroleum Development Company Plc continued with the fight that does not belong them by applying again in the same court asking that the Order made Absolute should- (1) stay execution (2) be set aside.
However, on 30th June, 2021, the same Court 9 presided over by Justice F Njemanze ruled and maintained that the Order remained Absolute.
