BY CHARLES KUMOLU

RIGHTS activist, Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor has faulted the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, between Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, Itsekiri Regional Development Commission, IRDC,  and Delta State government, describing it as being against a court order restraining CNL from having any dealings with  IRDC.

She noted that it was wrong to have gone ahead to execute the MoU after a court of competent jurisdiction had barred CNL from disbursing money to IRDC.

A Delta State High Court Sitting in Warri, had in September 2017, frozen six accounts, in Keystone Bank Plc, bearing N2.2 billion of CNL- funded  IRDC and consequently granted the order after hearing OlukunleEdun and Peter Aihiokha, both counsel to Lori-Ogbebor and four other claimants in the case.

However, Lori-Ogbebor in a chat with Vanguard said what the parties had done amounted to contempt of court, adding that the court should be allowed to resolve the matter in its wisdom.

She said:  “The case is coming up tomorrow in Warri and what they have done is wrong.  The court gave the order in September 2018 and they started executing the MoU in December 2017 and concluded in January 2018. It is clear that the court order preceded the execution of the MoU.

“So the court order made it clear that CNL was not supposed to have anything to do with those people pending the determination of the motion on notice. The lifespan of an interim order given was later extended by the motion on notice. That means that they are not supposed to have any dealing with CNL until the determination of the suit in court. They have breached the order and are supposed to be held for contempt of court.’’