ERHC Takes Steps To Bolster Independent Board, But Share Price Slips

A press release about the Aug. 24 Board of Directors meeting in Nigeria said the company's directors acted to bolster inedendent directorship[s on the company's board to gain better comp.liance with SEC regulations, but the company's share price nonetheless slipped from yesterday's 4 p.m. close to the after-hours Bid of $0.285 on about 43 trades totalling 537,502 shares. About 53 percent were Buys totalling 287,795 as of 2:56 p.m.

Here is the press release, which makes no mention of Sir Emeka Offor's departure twe weeks ago:

Aug 27, 2007 17:41 ET
ERHC Energy Inc. Board Adopts New Committee Charters, Approves Management Recommendation to Reformulate Business Plan
Management Meets With Leaders of Joint Development Authority to Reaffirm Commitment

ERHC Energy Operations
HOUSTON, TX--(Marketwire - August 27, 2007) - ERHC Energy Inc. (OTCBB: ERHE), an independent oil and gas company, today announced actions taken by its board of directors at its August meeting in Nigeria.

The ERHC board of directors approved revisions to the Board Committee Charters for ERHC Energy's Governance and Nominating Committee, and Compensation Committee. The revised Charters, adopted voluntarily by ERHC's board, subscribe to the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC standards of independence for independent directors. Independent directors serving on the Compensation Committee will, in addition, continue to be required to meet the standards of the relevant Internal Revenue Service and Securities and Exchange Commission rules.

Acting Chief Executive Officer Nicolae Luca explained that the board of directors of ERHC will evaluate future candidates for positions on the board to determine whether they satisfy these independence standards.

"We believe that independent directors play a crucial role in ensuring that the board of directors carries out its responsibilities in a manner consistent with its duties to shareholders," said Mr. Luca. "In coordination with the adoption of these revisions to the Committee Charters, efforts are underway to recruit three additional board members."

ERHC's board also approved a new Charter for the Audit Committee, as well as Corporate Governance Guidelines to supplement the Board Committee Charters and the Company's corporate governance policies.

Additionally, the board approved management's recommendation to reformulate the Company's business plan. The reformulated plan will permit ERHC's management to expand the Company's business focus beyond the Gulf of Guinea. Under Mr. Luca's leadership during the past year, ERHC's management has reaffirmed the Company's rights in the Nigeria-Sao Tome & Principe Joint Development Zone (JDZ), strengthened relationships with governments and regulators in the region, stabilized the Company's finances and put strict controls in place to keep expenses in check.

In coordination with the board meeting, ERHC's management met with leaders of the Joint Development Authority (JDA), which oversees activities in the JDZ. During informal discussions with the JDA Chairman Ado Wanka at the JDA's offices in Abuja, Nigeria, ERHC's representatives reiterated the Company's commitment, in conjunction with its technical partners, to fulfill its obligations in terms of exploration and production activities and community relations initiatives. ERHC representatives left with an expectation of the JDA's continuing cooperation with ERHC and other holders of rights in the JDZ. ERHC holds rights to participate in exploration and production activities in six of the JDZ Blocks.