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Supreme Court rejects suit seeking to compel FG to account for gas earnings
The Supreme Court has struck out a suit by the 36 state governments seeking to among others, compel the Federal Government to account for its earnings from the sale of liquefied natural gas, natural gas liquids and related products since 1999.
In a unanimous judgment, a seven-member panel of the court, presided over by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji held that the court lacked the original jurisdiction to hear and determine the suit, which has the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) as the sole defendant.
In the lead judgment, Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba upheld the preliminary objection raised against the suit by the AGF and held that the subject of the case had been dealt with by the Supreme Court in its earlier decision in the case of the Attorney General of Bauchi State against the AGF.
Justice Garba agreed with the defendant that the suit amounted to an attempt to re-litigate issues already decided by the Supreme Court in the AG, Bauchi v. AGF case, which relates to the revenues accruable to the government of the federation, which are payable into the federation account.
He held that the Supreme Court lacked the original jurisdiction to preside over and determine the case.
The judge proceeded to strike out the suit for want of jurisdiction to hear the case as presently constituted.
Other members of the panel – Justices Abba-Aji, Emmanuel Agim, Simon Tsammani, Stephen Adah and Jamilu Tukur agreed with the lead judgment.
The states had prayed the court for the following reliefs:
*An order directing the Federal Government of Nigeria to render an accurate and true account of the total income/profit/dividend, etc, earned by it from Nigeria’s participation in the business of liquefying and selling of liquefied natural gas, natural gas liquids etc, through its shareholding in the Nigeria LNG Limited, held in the name of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation since 9th October 1999, when the first cargo of liquefied natural gas left the shores of Nigeria till date; and to pay same into the federation account for the purpose of appropriation and redistribution to the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory in the manner prescribed in Section 1 of the Allocation of Revenue (Federation Accounts, Etc.) Act CAP A15 LFN 2004.
* An order directing the Federal Government of Nigeria to immediately pay the sum of $17billion or any other sum paid as a dividend up to the 17th May 2020 and thereafter, as accruing income/profit/dividend etc. earned or to be earned by it from Nigeria’s participation in the business of liquefying and selling of liquefied natural gas, natural gas liquids etc, through its shareholding in the Nigeria LNG Limited, held in the name of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, into the federation account immediately upon receipt, for the purpose of appropriation and redistribution in the manner prescribed in Section 1 of the Allocation of Revenue (Federation Accounts, Etc.) Act CAP A15 LFN 2004.
*An order directing the Federal Government of Nigeria to henceforth render accurate and true account of every income/profit/dividend etc, earned or to be earned by it from Nigeria’s participation in the business of liquefying and selling of liquefied natural gas, natural gas liquids, and every other business carried an by the Nigeria NLG Limited, for which it is entitled to earn income/profit/dividend etc, through its shareholding in the Nigeria LNG Limited, held in the name of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
*A declaration that by virtue of Section 44(3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 [as amended) and Section 1 of the Petroleum Act, CAP P10, LEN 2004, read in concert with Section 2 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), liquefied natural gas and natural gas liquids are petroleum and natural gas, whose entire ownership and control are vested in the government of the Federation, also referred to as the State under Section 1 of the Petroleum Act; such that the entre federation including the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory are entitled to the benefits therefrom.
*A declaration that the entire shareholding of the NNPC in the Nigerian LNG Limited, acquired pursuant to its powers under Section 6(1) (b) & (c) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Act, CAP N123 LFN 2004, is owned by the Government of the Federation also referred to as the State under Section 1 of the Petroleum Act, CAP P10, LFN 2004, i.e. the Federal Government of Nigeria, Including the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
*A declaration that the Federal Government of Nigeria’s participation in the business of liquefying and selling of liquefied natural gas, natural gas liquids etc. through its shareholding in the Nigeria LNG Limited, held in the name of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, is carried on in trust for the benefit of the entire Federation, including the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
*A declaration that the Federal Government of Nigeria, as trustee of every income/profit/dividend etc, accruable to the Federal Government of Nigeria from its participation in the business of liquefying and selling of liquefied natural gas, natural gas liquids etc, through its shareholding in the Nigeria LNG Limited, in the name of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, is accountable to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, for the total income/profit/dividend accruable to the Federal Government of Nigeria since 9th October 1999, when the first cargo of liquefied natural gas left the shores of Nigeria till date.
*A declaration that the income profit/dividend etc, accruable to the Federal Government of Nigeria from its participation in the business of Liquefying and sailing of liquefied natural gas, natural gas liquids etc, through its shareholding in the Nigeria LNG Limited, in the name of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and carried on in trust for the benefit of the federation, Is “public money” in the light of Section 2 of the Finance Control and Management) Act, CAP F 26, LEN 2004, which by Section 80 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (as amended) is mandatorily required to be paid into a consolidated revenue fund of the Federation, for appropriation and redistribution in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of N gena 1959 (as amended).
*A declaration that the Federal Government of Nigeria is obligated to render an accurate and true account of every income/profit/dividend etc. gamed by it from Nigeria’s participation in the business of liquefying and selling of liquefied natural gas, natural gas liquids etc, through its shareholding in the Nigeria LNG Limited, held in the name of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation since 9th October 1999, when the first cargo of liquefied natural gas left the shores of Nigeria till date; and to pay same into the federation account, for the purpose of appropriation and redistribution to the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, in the manner prescribed in Section 1 of the Allocation of Revenue (Federation Accounts, Etc.) Act CAP A15 LFN 2004.
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BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto
The Deputy Speaker, Sokoto State House of Assembly, Kabir Ibrahim kware, has commended governor Ahmed Aliyu for executing numerous developmental projects without taking loan from any financial institution.
Ibrahim Kware whp gave the commendation when he led other members of the State Assembly on Sallah homage to governor Aliyu, added that, the governor is very prudent in managing resources to achieve results.
“There was never a time you approached us with a request for permission to borrow money from any financial institutions whether at home or abroad,”he affirmed.
This , according to him, is worthy of commendation considering the myriad people- oriented projects the governor is executing across the state.
Speaking on behalf of the State’s Judiciary, Sokoto State Chief Judge, Justice Muhammad Sa’idu Sifawa, commended the governor for the construction of additional Court rooms at the State High Court.
Justice Sifawa also expressed delight over the way and manner the governor responds to issues affecting the Judiciary, which he said, is a clear testimony of the good working relationship existing between the three arms of government in the state.
Responding to the commendations, governor Ahmed Aliyu appealed for more synergy among the three tiers of government in the overall development of the state.
A statement by Abubakar Bawa, the Press Secretary to governor Alhmed Aliyu reaffirmed his principal’s unwavering commitment of the executive arm to providing the direly needed dividends of democracy to the people of the state,in line with his campaign promises.
The governor also urged lawmakers to present all the needs of their constituencies for prompt and diligent implementation.
“”I want to assure you that my doors are always open for you at any given time, to listen to the demands of your people.”
He reminded them on the need to put politics aside and work together with the executive arm for the progress and even development of the people they represent.
Turning to the members of the State Judiciary, the governor appealed to Judges and Khadis to ensure the quick dispensation of justice, so as to decongest the correctional centres.
“It is worrisome to see how inmates are languishing in correctional centres for minor offences in the name of awaiting trial.
“We recently appointed seven additional Judges and 7 Khadis, which is the first in the history of Sokoto State.
“The idea is to enhance the manpower in our Judiciary so as to speed up the dispensation of justice,” he added.
The governor further assured the members of the Judiciary of his administration’s readiness to ensure their welfare at all times.
BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto
The Sultan of Sokoto and President General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) Muahammad Sa’ad Abubakar 111 has commended the developmental strides of Sokoto state governor, Ahmed Aliyu, just as he assured of the support of traditional institutions in the state.
Sultan who admonished other governor’s to also borrow a leaf from governor Ahmed Aliyu who ensures that resident communities enjoys equal benefit from everybody, added that, Nigerians should project what unites us moe than that which divides us.
“In Sokoto, we appreciate what the Governor is doing and we’d like to assure him of the support of the traditional institution so that he can continue the good work he’s doing of transforming our State.
“The Governor and our security agencies are doing their best and this has made the state to record tremendous improvement in the fight against banditry,” the Sultan averred.
While adding that governor Ahmed Aliyu deserves special commendation for the massive distribution of food items during the just-concluded Ramadan fast, Sultan urged Nigerians to always be law-abiding and desist from any act that may jeopardise the long lasting peace the country is enjoying.
Registering his displeasure over how the social media is been used negatively to promote and sow seed o discord, the Sultan said, some unpatriotic citizens use social media to spread falsehood, misinformation and provocative statements that can destroy the peaceful atmosphere the country is enjoying.
He, therefore, called on the security agencies in the country to be watchful of the unpatriotic citizens trying to create chaos in the land.
Speaking during his
Sallah homage on governor Ahmed Aliyu at the Banquet Hall, Presidential Lodge, Sokoto, Sultan
said, “”In Sokoto all Nigerians are treated as indigenes, an act that gives Nigerians residing in the State a sense of belonging.
Sultan equally stressed the need for for state governors to give much emphasis in protecting the lives and property of their subjects, describing security as the basis upon which all societies could progress.
Responding, governor Ahmed Aliyu reassured his administration’s determination to do everything humanly possible to make the state safe and secured.
He blamed unemployment especially among the youths as responsible for the insecurity being recorded in many parts of the country.
According to Aliyu, many youths have joined informants’ groups so as to be getting stipends to make ends meet.
“This administration has so far trained and graduated thousands of youths and women in different trades so as to make them productive members in the society.
” I want to assure you that we would soon embark on another massive skills acquisition programme to engage more unemployed youths in our modest attempt to reduce restiveness among our youths,” he vowed
Gov. Aliyu further reassured the people of the state that his administration would continue to prioritize Islamic affairs, adding that more Mosques and Islamiyya schools would continue to receive the desired attention from the state government.
He thanked the people of the state for their fervent prayers and support to his administration and called for it’s sustainance.
Sterling Bank has made a groundbreaking move by eliminating transfer charges on local transactions, aiming to create a more equitable banking experience for Nigerians. The question now arises: will other financial institutions follow this lead?
On April 1, Sterling Bank announced the removal of transfer fees for all local digital transactions, positioning itself as the first major bank in Nigeria to implement such a policy. Initially, the announcement faced skepticism, with many believing it to be an April Fools’ Day joke. However, Sterling has since reaffirmed the policy’s legitimacy and immediate implementation, signaling a significant evolution in the industry’s customer service approach.
Obinna Ukachukwu, the Growth Executive overseeing the Consumer and Business Banking Directorate, stated, “We believe that accessing your own funds should not incur a penalty. This decision transcends financial implications; it reflects our core values.”
With this new policy, Sterling customers can now make free transfers for all local transactions via the bank’s mobile app. This initiative is anticipated to yield considerable savings for individuals and small business owners who frequently engage in transfers.
“We may not be the largest bank in Nigeria, but we are certainly the most audacious,” Ukachukwu declared. “Sterling Bank is committed to the future of Nigeria, and we are backing our fellow citizens with more than just words.”
Sterling Bank has a history of prioritizing customer welfare, having previously offered financial assistance to healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This latest initiative has garnered widespread public support, igniting conversations on social media and prompting calls for other banks to adopt similar practices.
“We take pride in leading this transformative change,” Ukachukwu concluded. “We hope to inspire others to rethink what customers truly require from their banks, not only in terms of services but also in values.”