The Federal High Court, Lagos has struck out a suit challenging the propriety of some committees set up by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to carry out reforms in the petroleum industry.
The committees are the Petroleum Revenue Task Force headed by former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu, Governance Control Task Force, headed by Dotun Suleman, and National Refineries Special Task Force, headed by Kalu Idika Kalu.
Gabriel Amalu, a Lagos-based lawyer, had instituted the suit, contending that the setting up of the committees amounted to an unconstitutional delegation of the powers of the minister and those of the agencies and other parastatals in the ministry.
He had therefore asked the court to give an order restraining the operations of the committees which he described as “quasi committees”.
The presiding judge, Justice Mojisola Ishola-Olatoregun however struck out the suit for lack of diligent prosecution.
The decision to strike out the matter was prompted by the absence of parties in the suit at Tuesday proceedings.
Joined as parties in the suit were the Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Alison-Madueke and the heads of each of the committees.