Activist-lawyer Toluwani Adebiyi has initiated contempt proceedings against Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) Chairman Dr Sam Amadi over his claim that judges were frustrating reforms in the electricity sector.
The NERC chair made the claim in an August 7 letter to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta.
Amadi, who noted that the judges were ignorant of the sector, accused them of handing out improper injunctions, which could discourage investments.
The Federal High Court in Lagos had restrained NERC from increasing electricity tariff, following an ex-parte application by Adebiyi, who sought an injunction to stop NERC from raising power consumption bills without steady power for 18 hours a day.
Adebiyi filed the Form 48 yesterday, which requires Amadi to appear in court to justify his statement or risk a jail term.
The application is entitled: “Notice of consequence of derogatory, unlawful, misguided accusations of Federal High Court Judge, same which is contemptous of the integrity of the court as contained in contemnor’s letter to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court and published on page 12 of The Nation newspapers of 18th august 2015.”
Amadi is expected to appear before Justice Mohammed Idris, who gave one of the restraining orders, on September 23.