MARKET DEVELOPMENT
Okomu Oil Shareholders Battle over Leadership
Okomu Oil Shareholders Battle over Leadership
03/08/2013 (THISDAY Live) - Some shareholders of Okomu Oil Palm Plc are currently at loggerheads over the chairmanship of the Onitsha Zone of the body, which comprises of Edo, Delta, Anambra, Bayelsa and Rivers states.
As a result of this, an order of the Federal High Court obtained in Benin City, capital of Edo State by Charles Adogah (SAN), solicitor to Mr. Solomon Eghobamien, had restrained the chairman of the Onitsha Zone Shareholders Association, Bishop Goodluck Akpore, from parading himself as the chairman of the body in suit No: FHC /B/CS/136/11.
However, in a reaction, Akpore, Thursday insisted that he remained the chairman of the Onitsha zone of the association, noting that the said court order was intended to misinform the public.
According to him, "the ruling has nothing to do with the Onitsha zone shareholders".
The Plaintiff, Eghobamien, had obtained an originating summons declaring that the defendant (Akpore) has “no power under the constitution of the Onitsha Zone Shareholders Association or any other law to hold himself out or remain in office as the chairman had completed his two term in office sometime in 1997.”
Akpore on his part challenged Eghobamien to make public his membership of the association saying the ruling by a Federal High Court obtained in 2006 was biding. According to him, trouble began between Okomu Oil Plc and Onitsha Zone Shareholders when the federal government set up a committee to investigate Okomu Oil and came out with findings that Sofinco, a managing agent of Okomu did not register with the Corporate Affairs Commission, (CAC).
“The court order was intended to misinform the public, I Akpore Goodluck is still the chairman of the Onitsha Zone of Shareholders.
Eghobamien who appeared as the plaintiff is not a member of our association, he is not known to us. Even if am not the chairman, which I am, it does not invalidate the document we have because the issues we have raised are clear.
“Government appointed a committee to investigate Okomu, and in the report Sofinco, which is managing agent of Okomu didn’t register with the CAC in Nigeria and they recommended to government that they should be prosecuted but surprisingly we discovered that the Attorney-General of the federal withdrew the suit and we asked questions. Why should Sofinco be allowed to be doing business in Nigeria and making huge profits without registering with the CAC?”
Against the backdrop, investigation has revealed that Okomu Oil Managing Director, Graham Hefer, and other top management staff were last Monday arraigned at High Court 4 presided over by Justice J.I Acha on alleged non-remittance of personal income taxes accruable to the Edo State Government.
As a result of this, an order of the Federal High Court obtained in Benin City, capital of Edo State by Charles Adogah (SAN), solicitor to Mr. Solomon Eghobamien, had restrained the chairman of the Onitsha Zone Shareholders Association, Bishop Goodluck Akpore, from parading himself as the chairman of the body in suit No: FHC /B/CS/136/11.
However, in a reaction, Akpore, Thursday insisted that he remained the chairman of the Onitsha zone of the association, noting that the said court order was intended to misinform the public.
According to him, "the ruling has nothing to do with the Onitsha zone shareholders".
The Plaintiff, Eghobamien, had obtained an originating summons declaring that the defendant (Akpore) has “no power under the constitution of the Onitsha Zone Shareholders Association or any other law to hold himself out or remain in office as the chairman had completed his two term in office sometime in 1997.”
Akpore on his part challenged Eghobamien to make public his membership of the association saying the ruling by a Federal High Court obtained in 2006 was biding. According to him, trouble began between Okomu Oil Plc and Onitsha Zone Shareholders when the federal government set up a committee to investigate Okomu Oil and came out with findings that Sofinco, a managing agent of Okomu did not register with the Corporate Affairs Commission, (CAC).
“The court order was intended to misinform the public, I Akpore Goodluck is still the chairman of the Onitsha Zone of Shareholders.
Eghobamien who appeared as the plaintiff is not a member of our association, he is not known to us. Even if am not the chairman, which I am, it does not invalidate the document we have because the issues we have raised are clear.
“Government appointed a committee to investigate Okomu, and in the report Sofinco, which is managing agent of Okomu didn’t register with the CAC in Nigeria and they recommended to government that they should be prosecuted but surprisingly we discovered that the Attorney-General of the federal withdrew the suit and we asked questions. Why should Sofinco be allowed to be doing business in Nigeria and making huge profits without registering with the CAC?”
Against the backdrop, investigation has revealed that Okomu Oil Managing Director, Graham Hefer, and other top management staff were last Monday arraigned at High Court 4 presided over by Justice J.I Acha on alleged non-remittance of personal income taxes accruable to the Edo State Government.