The former chairman of Seplat Energy Plc, Ambrose Orjiako, denied any wrongdoing on Friday after the oil firm leveled several allegations against him. The PUNCH reported that Seplat had filed a writ of summons in the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking damages of N5 billion. The writ, identified as Suit No FHC/ABJ/CS/386/2023, was lodged on 21 March 2023, and the court ordered the defendant to appear within 30 days.
In its suit, Seplat asked the court to declare that Orjiako’s use of the company’s official letterhead to make a $300 million offer without Board approval breached the terms of their existing consulting agreement and violated the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020, among other issues. Orjiako, however, refuted any misconduct in a letter he sent to the Federal Government to facilitate the pending $1.3 billion Mobil sales deal. He asserted that he acted within his mandate for the company’s benefit and that Seplat was already gaining value from the correspondence with the presidency.
The clarification was issued through his legal adviser, Senator Ikechukwu Obiorah. Orjiako said he had instructed his lawyers to pursue appropriate legal steps, including seeking damages from those responsible for what he described as “mischief.” The statement read, in part: “The attention of Dr Ambrose Orjiako, the pioneer chairman of Seplat Energy Plc, has been drawn to various malicious newspaper publications, the latest being the so‑called lawsuit filed by individuals claiming to act in the company’s interest. He had hitherto refrained from joining them in the unfortunate affray. It has become necessary to inform the public of the mischief of these individuals who have masked personal interests over the wellbeing of Seplat, a company that has earned a notable reputation.”
The statement further explained that Orjiako, as co‑founder of Seplat, acted under written authorization from the Board of Directors to manage specific stakeholders concerning the transaction that required the communication in question. He argued that the letter cited in the publications was prepared after appropriate discussions and was strictly in Seplat’s best interest. “The authorization in the said letter expressly identifies Orjiako as the pioneer chairman,” the statement added, urging the public not to give credence to the lawsuit or the sensational publications that, in his view, were intended to achieve ulterior motives.
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