Following the order of a Federal High Court in Lagos, Roger Brown, the Chief Executive Officer of Seplat Energy PLC, resigned from office.
Brown was retrained by the court not to use the title of the CEO of the company pending the time when the suit against him would be determined.
Background story
On Wednesday, Justice Chukwuejekwu Aneke of a Lagos State FHC, ruling on a motion ex parte brought by Moses Igbrude, Sarat Kudaisi, Kenneth Nnabike, Ajani Abidoye, and Robert Ibekwe, the aggrieved stakeholders of the company, declared that the CEO, Brown, should stop using the title of the CEO of the company.
The aggrieved stakeholders of Seplat Energy PLC had filed suit against Brown on the count that he was engaged in racism, discrimination against Nigeria, favoritism for expatriate workers, and breach of the good governance code.
The chairman of the Firm’s Board of Directors, Mr Basil Omiyi, was also restrained by the court alongside all other non-executives 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 an interlocutory injunction”.
The suit was filed by the applicants’ lawyer, Jeph Njikonye, SAN, who held in their motion and Notice, prayed the court to declare that the affairs of the company, Seplat, had been running illegally, oppressively and unfairly prejudicial to the stakeholders and other members of the company, held it was total disregard to the interest of the aggrieved stakeholders, other members, and the whole company entirely.
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They urge the court to declare that the CEO, Brown, and board chairman Omiyi, with other non-executives under him “failed in the discharge of their duties and are unfit to continue to function in the Board of Directors of the first respondent (Seplat).”
They added that the court should also order a mandatory injunction for Brown, restraining him from parading as the CEO of the company, “an order of mandatory injunction restraining the second 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”. The added.
The court adjourned the case till March 23.
It was reported that the aggrieved stakeholders in order to make firm and support their case, file another petition against the CEO, to the Minister of Interior.
After the stakeholders exhibited a petition to the minister of interior against Brown, the minister further conveyed its decision in a letter signed by Mr Akinola Adesina, dated March 3, 2023, revoking the CEO’s permit visa, and residence permit.
The letter reads, “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 Thomson Brown, the CEO of the company 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 learned 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 in 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 the 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.”