Alleged racism: Court sacks Seplat CEO, restrains Board Chairman, others
(Nigeria) A Federal High Court sitting in
Lagos has restrained the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of Seplat
Energy PLC, Mr. Roger Brown from parading himself as the CEO of the company, pending the determination of a suit instituted
against him and others by aggrieved stakeholders of the company over
allegations of racism, favouring of expatriate workers, discrimination against
Nigerians, and breach of good governance.
The court also restrained the Chairman,
Board of Directors, Mr. Basil Omiyi, and all the Non-Executive Directors under
him from “continuing to run the affairs of Seplat in an illegal, unfair,
prejudicial, and oppressive manner pending the hearing and determination of the
Petitioner’s Motion on Notice for interlocutory injunction”.
Trial
judge, Justice Chukwuejekwu Aneke made order while
ruling on a motion ex-parte by some aggrieved stakeholders of Seplat, Moses Igbrude, Sarat
Kudaisi, Kenneth Nnabike, Ajani Abidoye, and Robert Ibekwe, Petitioners,
against the Respondents, Seplat Energy PLC, Mr. Roger Thompson Brown, and Mr.
Basil Omiyi, in Suit No. FHC/L/402/2023.
Justice Aneke equally granted the petitioners
leave to serve the petition, any order of court and all other processes to be
issued subsequently in the matter on Brown and Omiyi by pasting in the premises
if Seplat Energy located at Ikoyi, Lagos.
The court subsequently adjourned to March
23, for hearing of the pending application.
The applicants had in their motion on notice filed
by their lawyer, Jeph Njikonye, SAN, prayed the court for a declaration that
the affairs of Seplat have been conducted in a manner that is illegal,
oppressive and unfairly prejudicial to the petitioners and other members of
Seplat and in total disregard to the interest of the petitioners, other
employees, and Seplat as a whole.
They equally seek a declaration that by
condoning the unlawful, discriminatory, and abusive conducts of the CEO, Roger
Brown, the Board Chairman, Basil Omiyi, and the Non-executive Directors have
“failed in the discharge of their duties and are unfit to continue to function
in the Board of Directors of the 1st Respondent (Seplat).
Consequently, the Petitioners seek “An
order of mandatory injunction restraining the 2nd Respondent (Brown) from
parading himself as, or continuing to operate as the CEO of the 1st Respondent
(Seplat) or working for Seplat in any other capacity”.
They equally seek an order restraining
Seplat and the Board Chairman from retaining Brown as the CEO of Seplat or
retaining his services for Seplat in other capacity whatsoever.
To support their case, the aggrieved
stakeholders exhibited a petition to the Minister of Interior against Brown by
employees of Seplat, as well as a letter by the Minister of Interior
communicating the Ministry’s decision on the said petition to the company.
In the March 3, 2023 letter addressed to
the Board Chairman of Seplat Energy Plc, by Mr. Akinola Adesina for the minister,
which was marked as Exhibit B, the Ministry of Interior had conveyed the
revocation of Roger Brown’s Work Permit, Visa, and Residence Permit.
The letter read: “I write to inform you
that the Ministry is in receipt of a petition from the Solicitor to the
concerned workers and stakeholders of Seplat Energy Plc accusing Mr. Rogers Brown,
the CEO of the companies of various allegations.
“These accusations include racism,
favouring foreign workers and discriminating against Nigerian employees.
Testimony was received from several witnesses, which supported the allegations.
Mr. Roger T. Brown declined to attend despite two invitations, claiming to be
unavailable even though we learnt he was in Abuja for other purposes at the
time.
“Investigation and records in the Ministry
also revealed that Mr. Roger Brown was in possession of CERPAC that was not
based on validly issued Expatriate Quota approved by the Ministry of Interior
resulting to the violation of relevant Immigration Laws and Regulations. As a
result of these, the minister has determined that Mr. Brown’s continued stay in Nigeria is
contrary to national interest.
“Consequently, the Ministry has withdrawn
the Work Permit CERPAC, Visa, Residence Permit and all relevant documents that
authorised Mr. Roger Thomson Brown’s entry or stay in Nigeria,” the
letter added.
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