The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA Dakuku Peterside has hailed the appeal court judgement setting aside a 57 million dollars judgement granted the Nigeria LNG Limited, NLNG against the agency by a Federal High
Dakuku said that the Appeal Court judgement was a victory for all Nigerians, saying that it has further strengthened the agency’s faith in the judiciary.
A Federal High Court had in October 2017 said that NLNG was right in its refusal to pay levies demanded by NIMASA and that all such payments already made by NLNG to NIMASA should be refunded.
But the Court of Appeal in Lagos had on Friday set aside an earlier judgement of the Federal High Court, which had exempted NLNG from the levies, on the grounds that NIMASA was not given a fair hearing at the lower court. Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, who delivered the judgement, ordered that the case be sent back to the high court for fresh trial under a different judge.
Reacting to the ruling, Dakuku said NIMASA remained law abiding and will continue to work closely with the judiciary in matters that need clarity and interpretation.
