The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, on Tuesday, restrained Nnimmo Bassey from parading himself as the Chairman of Board of Trustees of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, ERA/FoEN, pending the hearing of the motion on notice.
The matter is a case of Incorporated Trustees of Environmental Rights Development Foundation (ERA/FoEN) and two others, against Arc. Nnimmo Bassey and three others in case number (FHC/L/CS/FHC/1421/2020).
The court also restrained the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, from recognizing or acknowledging him as chairman of the Board of Trustees.
Counsel to ERA/FoEN, President Aigbokhan, Esq had argued in its motion exparte, that Nnimmo Bassey is currently the Executive Director and Board Chairman of Incorporated Trustee of Health of Mother Earth Foundation, HOMEF, which is a leading environmental and food sovereignty advocacy group.
He also argued that Bassey is, at same time, the chairman of Environmental Rights Development Foundation, which is a foremost environmental advocacy group in Africa, before he was removed by a General Assembly on 7th October 2020 on the ground of conflict of interest.
According to Aigbokhan, the affiliate members’ decision on 7th October 2020 should be affirmed pending the hearing of the motion on notice, reiterating that the activities of Incorporated Trustee of HOMEF, led by Bassey is questionably in conflict with that of ERA, which he founded alongside Dr. Uyi Ojo and Oronto Douglas in 2005.
The court recognized the new board as constituted by its affiliate members and led by Chief Saint Emma Pii and Dr. Uyi Ojo as the chairman and secretary, respectively.
It also adjourned the case to 29th October 2020 for hearing of motion on notice.
