DTSG Dragged to Court for Appointing Unqualified Person to Held DESTMA
ASABA/Nigeria: A legal practitioner cum Human Rights Activist, Omemiroro Ogedegbe, Esq, as dragged the Delta State Governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa to court over the purported appointment of Cdr Azubuike Idah (Rtd) as Director General, Delta State Traffic Management Authority (DESTMA).
Also joined in the originating summons, as 2nd, 3rd and 4th Respondents are Delta State House of Assembly, Delta State Traffic Management Agency (DESTMA) and Cdr Azubuike Idah (Rtd), respectively.
In the said affidavit to support his originating summons with Suit No. UHC/171/019 before the Ughelli High Court Judicial Division, Mr. Ogedegbe is seeking a declaration that the purported appointment of Azubuike Idah as DESTMA Director General by Governor Okowa without confirmation of the Delta State House of Assembly is “a breach of the provisions of Section 12(1) of the DESTMA Law, 2013 CII4 2013 No. 00 which states that “there shall be a Director General of the Authority (DESTMA) who shall be appointed by the Governor subject to the confirmation of the House”.
Furthermore, the human rights activist and Legal practitioner averred, in another relief for “A declaration that the appointment of the 4th respondent (IDAH) as Director General of the 3rd respondent (DESTMA), without the required ten (10) years cognate experience in traffic management, is a violation of Section 12 (3) of the Delta State Traffic Management Authority Law, 2013.
Section 12 (3) of the law states that “The Director-General shall be a University/HND graduate with at least 10 years cognate experience in Road Traffic Management or other related matters”.
He further submitted that Mr. Idah was appointed Head of Operations of DESTMA in 2013 and does not possess the requisite 10years cognate experience in road traffic management or other related matters to qualify his elevation to the office of Director General.
He is therefore seeking “An Order of Court squashing the appointment of the 4th respondent by the 1st respondent for non-compliance with the Delta State Traffic Management Authority Law”, as well as “An Order of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st respondent from carrying out any such appointment into the office of the 3rd respondent (DESTMA) without a confirmation by the 2nd respondent (DTHA).
The matter has been fixed for hearing on the 28th November 2019 at the Ughelli High Court.
