President Bola Tinubu is about to face a lawsuit in August for retaining Charles Anosike, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet)’s director general, after petitions and letters showed that his appointment broke the law over seven months ago.
FIJ on Monday saw court papers, petitions and letters delivered to minister of aviation Festus Keyamo, NiMet and Tinubu.
FIJ saw petitions and letters delivered to minister of aviation Festus Keyamo, NiMet and President Tinubu.
The petitions and court papers shared common details: Tinubu appointed Anosike as NiMet’s DG in December 2023. Keyamo oversees NiMet, a parastatal under his ministry of aviation.
Anosike is a professional with work experience, but petitions from December claim he lacks meteorological qualifications or a closely related scientific background to lead NiMet as stipulated in the NiMet Act 2022 10(3) and 10(4) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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The NiMet Act 2022 10(3) states that:
A person shall not be appointed as the Director General, except he has a recognised professional degree in meteorology or any meteorological-related sciences with at least 15 years of cognate experience, five of which shall be at senior management level.
A screenshot from the NiMet Act (2022).
“I would like you to reconsider the appointment of Charles Anosike as the Director General of NiMet for the following reasons…lack of required qualifications and cognate experience and (he) is a close associate of Hadi Sirika,” Atolagbe Adigun, an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, told Tinubu in a December 18 letter.
FIJ saw more letters sent to Tinubu and NiMet between March and July. The court papers include an originating summons, a supporting affidavit, a supporting address and more affidavits filed at the federal high court in Abuja.
“I would like you to reconsider the appointment of Charles Anosike as the Director General of NiMet for the…lack of required qualifications and cognate experience,” Atolagbe Adigun, an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, told President Tinubu on December 18.
Adigun also told Tinubu that Anosike was a close associate of Hadi Sirika, the former aviation minister who is under investigation for corruption.
Victor Amarachi Nwala, a Nigerian civil advocate, is the plaintiff.
“Nwala is just a Nigerian who found out about this in the news; it has been in the news for some time now. Anosike does not have the required qualifications to occupy the office he is in at the moment,” Kasarachi Lekwauwa, Nwala’s attorney, told FIJ on Monday.
“As a public interest advocate, Nwala intends to institute an action challenging the appropriateness of this. NiMet’s influence cuts across the weather and climate, and it has to do with human lives. Nwala does not work at, or with, NiMet.”
FIJ on Monday saw court papers delivered to Anosike, Keyamo, NiMet and Tinubu as defendants.
As of press time, NiMet and Tinubu have less than a week to respond to the preaction letter filed against them in July.
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NiMet and Tinubu have till Monday to respond to this preaction letter filed against them in July. Lekwauwa told FIJ that a lawsuit would follow this deadline.
Anosike’s LinkedIn profile showed FIJ that he was a professor of leadership with a major focus on management.
NiMet’s website states that Anosike holds a bachelor’s degree and a master of Information Technology with specialisation in IT-Project Management from American InterContinental University. Anosike completed a doctorate in Business Administration (Leadership specialisation) from Walden University.
He was also the director of NiMet’s Applied Meteorological Services from 2021 to 2023.
FIJ called Keyamo on Monday and Tuesday but his phone number was busy. He had not responded to text messages from Monday and Tuesday at press time.
A mail sent to the state house and Keyamo on Monday had received no response at press time.
The post Tinubu Faces Lawsuit After Petitions Showed 7-Month-Old ‘Unlawful’ NiMet DG Appointment appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.