File photo: House of Reps
The members of the House of Representatives, on Wednesday, resolved to investigate legal and other service providers involved in the case between Nigeria and Process and Industrial Development Limited.
The PUNCH reports that the Federal Government of Nigeria won the legal case against P&ID Limited in a London court on Monday.
The judgment was delivered after five years of legal frameworks, which was resolved in favour of Nigeria as the court quashed the $11 billion arbitration award in favour of P&ID.
In a ruling delivered by e-mail, the Justice of the Commercial Courts of England and Wales, Robin Knowles, upheld Nigeria’s prayer on the ground that the ill-fated gas processing contract was obtained by a fraudulent process.
In a motion of urgent public importance brought to the floor of the House at Wednesday plenary by Kama Nkemkanma, a member representing Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo Federal Constituency, Ebonyi State, titled, “Reversal of the $11 billion arbitration award paid against Nigeria: Call for investigation of all legal and other services providers involved in the P&ID deal,” the lawmaker noted that “The process through which P&ID secured a 2010 contract to build a gas processing plant in Calabar, Cross River State, was fraudulent,” quoting Justice Knowles held as saying that “In the circumstances and for the reasons J have sought to describe and explain.
Nigeria succeeds in its challenge under section 68, | have not accepted all of Nigeria’s allegations, But the Awards were obtained by fraud, and how they were procured was contrary to public policy.
“What happened in this case is very serious indeed, and it is important that section 68 has been available to maintain the rule of law.”
He added that “Nigeria has been involved in a fight with P&ID since the company accused the Nigerian government of botching a deal by failing to provide gas to them, leading to the ugly situation where the country suffered a $6.6 billion judgment debt in 2017 when the arbitration tribunal ordered the country to pay P&ID with interest to start counting from March 2013;
“Again aware that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, in 2018, began investigating P&ID and found evidence of two bank transfers totaling $20,000 made by Dublin-based Industrial Consultants (International) Ltd. — part of the P&ID group of companies—to Grace Taiga, a Nigerian government lawyer who oversaw the award of the gas plant contract, thus exposing the level of shoddiness and corruption around the entire process.”
Following its adoption, the motion was subsequently referred to the Committees on Justice and Financial Crimes for further input.
