- Brown has resumed his role as CEO of the Seplat following the restoration of the documents.
- The Ministry of Interior and the NIS withdrew Mr. Brown’s immigration documents following allegations of racism, unfair prejudice, discrimination, and improper immigration status.
- Seplat Energy cooperated fully with the verification checks conducted by the Immigration Authorities, which resulted in the restored immigration status of Roger Brown.
Seplat Energy has announced that the Ministry of Interior and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) have restored the immigration documents of its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), MMrRoger Brown.
The company also disclosed that Mr. Brown has resumed his role as CEO of the Company following the restoration of the documents.
This was contained in the company’s notice to the Nigerian Exchange Limited seen by Nairametrics.
The statement signed by Mr. Basil Omiyi, the company’s Board Chairman listed the documents to include the Working Permit, Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card (CERPAC), and other Visas for the entry or stay in Nigeria of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer.
- “The Company previously announced that the Immigration Documents were withdrawn by the Ministry, following false allegations of racism, unfair prejudice, discrimination, and improper immigration status made by certain individuals parading as “concerned workers and stakeholders of Seplat Energy Plc”. The Company cooperated fully with the verification checks conducted by the Immigration Authorities, which resulted in the restored immigration status of Roger Brown,” the statement said.
The company noted that given the restored Immigration Documents, Mr Brown can now validly enter, work, and stay in Nigeria and today has resumed his position as CEO of Seplat Energy.
- “The Board and Management of Seplat Energy Plc are pleased that Mr. Brown has resumed his role as CEO, as the Company continues to make strong strides in delivering its 2023 operational targets,” the company said.
The Ex-pate interim orders
The company recently announced that the Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos struck out the Petition commenced on 8th March 2023 by Moses Igbrude, Sarat Kudaisi, Kenneth Nnabike, Ajani Abidoye, and Robert Ibekwe in Suit No. FHC/L/CP/402/2023 – Moses Igbrude & 4 others V. Seplat & 2 others.
According to Seplat, as previously announced, the Petition led to ex parte Interim Orders that ordered Mr Roger Brown to step aside as the CEO of the Company. However, the Court later vacated the Orders on 6th April 2023.
- “At the hearing, it came to the knowledge of the Court that the Petitioners had prepared a Notice of Discontinuance dated 13th April 2023 and filed on 18th April 2023.
- The Petitioners inexplicably delayed service of the Discontinuance Notice on Seplat and its Officers until yesterday and today, respectively.
- The Court, therefore, struck out the Petition and ordered the Petitioners to pay costs to MMrRoger Brown in the amount of N1 million,” Seplat stated.
Seplat noted that the judicial outcome follows suspension by the Court of Appeal of the ex parte Interim Orders granted by the Federal High Court (Abuja) in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/626/2023 – Juliet Gbaka & 2 others v. Seplat Energy Plc & 13 others.
- “The Moses Igbrude Petition was the first in the successive line of petitions commenced against Seplat Energy between March and April 2023 by a combination of 13 minority shareholders holding less than 800 shares out of 589 million shares (or 0.0001% of the Company’s issued shares).
- The Moses Igbrude Petition also introduced the onslaught of false and orchestrated allegations against the Company, its CEO, and its Directors/Officers, which formed the basis of the actions taken by the Ministry of Interior and the criminal charge brought against Seplat Energy and its Officers, which was promptly withdrawn by the Nigeria Immigration Service while the Company and its Officers were entirely discharged by the Federal High Court (Abuja) in April 2023,” Seplat said.
The statement signed by Mr. Basil Omiyi, Board Chairman reiterates the company’s confidence in the Nigerian Judiciary as it continues its systematic resolution of these orchestrated and frivolous litigations, which are aimed at disrupting the smooth operations of the Company.
