Yemisi Izuora
The Court of Appeal in Lagos through its judgement on Friday has set aside the ruling of a lower court over the matter between the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
On Friday, Hon. Justice Garuba Lawal, in a judgement directed that the case between the NLNG, and the NIMASA, over applicability of NIMASA levies to NLNG be remitted to the Federal High Court for a rehearing, thereby setting aside the judgment of the lower court in the matter.
The NLNG had filed a case in 2013 at the Federal High Court, Lagos Division against the Attorney General of the Federation and Global West Vessel Specialists Nigeria Limited, seeking a judicial determination on, among other things, the legality or otherwise of certain levies sought to be imposed on NLNG by NIMASA, an agency of the Federal Government and the consequent blockade of NLNG vessels by NIMASA and Global West as a result of the dispute.
The Federal High Court gave its decision in October 2017 in favour of NLNG, granting all the reliefs sought by NLNG in the case.