A civil society group in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, known as Right for Human Dignity and Justice (RHDAJ) has on Monday called on the Inspector General of Police to arrest and prosecute the General Secretary of NUPENG, Afolabi Olawale and his surrogates over what it described as contempt of Court, an assault on Court bailiff and for conducting a Unit election at the NNPC Port Harcourt refinery on Friday despite a restraining order from the court not to do so.
According to the executive director of the rights group who is a senior lawyer, Iheanyi Kingsley during a protest at Trans Amadi Lawout, Port Harcourt on Monday said the judiciary is the last hope of the common man and cannot be allowed to be desecrated by power mongers who have no respect for the rule of law.
Barrister Iheanyi said the affront on the judiciary must be nipped in the bud to serve as deterrent to others who have a penchant for flouting court orders and as well relying on self-help which is tantamount to anarchy.
Iheanyi said, “We understand that a Court will be ruling on this matter tomorrow, Tuesday March 19, 2024, but we also find it important as a right group to place the custodian of law and order especially the Inspector General on red alert to make the contemnors face the full weight of the law for being recalcitrant to the orders of honorable justice of a Court of competent jurisdiction, and refusing to purge themselves of contempt, this will serve as a lesson to others that no one is above the law To even hear that the Union even beat up a court ballif shows how audacious and desperate these people are.
“We also found it appalling to see that the leadership of NUPENG especially the General Secretary grounded all the trucks of the National Chairman and that of the deputy Chairman of Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Branch of NUPENG, stopped all thr trucks taking products to their gas stations, how can a man be this wicked? To the extent that you even have the vicious intent to cripple means of livelihoods and their sources of income. Now those drivers whose trucks have been grounded and disallowed to load how will they take care of their families? Meaning that NUPENG no longer protects people’s jobs anymore but to keep them out of jobs, therefore it has lost its essence of being in existence.
“We’re not in a banana republic, Nigeria is governed by law and that fact must be established at all times no matter whose ox is gored. Contempt of court is an affront to the authority and dignity of the court. One form it can take is disrespectful behaviour in the presence of the court like rude gestures, shouting or interrupting the judge. Another form it can take is breach of a written court order, including wilful disobedience or disregard of a court order. The law permits that, such person or persons violating the court order shall be convicted of contempt and sentenced to terms of imprisonment or payment of a fine.” Iheanyi stated
Several efforts made to obtain reaction from NUPENG officials proved abortive as they failed to pick their calls.
Civil Society Group Protests in Port Harcourt, Calls for NUPENG General-Secretary, Other Officials’ Arrest
