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Tag: NLNG

  • NLNG awards 10 PG scholarship

    NLNG awards 10 PG scholarship

    The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) has announced the award of scholarships to 10 Nigerian students to study various courses in top universities in the United Kingdom under its Post-graduate Scholarship Scheme.

    The NLNG Post-graduate Scholarship Scheme, launched in October last year, is funded by NLNG and managed by the British Council – an internationally-recognised service provider in the area of scholarship management and partnership brokerage in higher education.

    In a statement in Port Harcourt, the firm said the scholarship covers tuition, accommodation, living expenses, travel and other issues.

    The 10 pioneer candidates for the scheme were selected from a total of 1,665 applications.

    The criteria for selection included the course of study, which is restricted to programmes in Engineering, Geosciences, Environmental Studies, Management Sciences, Information Technology, Law and Medicine at Masters Level, possession of a second Class Upper minimum degree and successful completion of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.

    The British Council said the 10 scholars, who will be unveiled at a public ceremony in Port Harcourt on September 10, have received pre-departure orientation ahead of their departure from the country this month.

     

  • Govt urged to deepen gas market as US builds reserves

    Govt urged to deepen gas market as US builds reserves

    Nigeria’s gas market appears threatened as it faces potential competition from the United States(US).

    US’s decision to open up its gas resources for exploration will increase its reserves from 229 trillion cubit feet to 312 trillion cubic feet by 2035, and the new resource is likely to compete with Nigeria’s liquefied natural gas in the international market.

    To overcome this potential threat, operators have called on the Federal Government to review its strategies to withstand the competition in the gas market and further generate more revenue for the country.

    The President, International Association of Energy Economics (IAEC), Prof Adeola Akinisiju, said Nigeria must rethink its strategies to be ahead of the competition in the global gas’ market, adding that the country must try and give discounts to get new buyers, and retain the old ones for sustained growth.

    He listed two types of exports namely; the Nigerian Liquifield and Natural Gas (NLNG) based exports and non-NLNG based exports.

    The former, he said, had to do with long-term contracts that NLNG has with Italy, Spain, France, and other countries in Europe, while the latter relates to short-tern exports to countries in Asia Pacific.

    “The gas we export are based on NLNG long-term agreements with some countries. As for non-NLNG based exports, they are excess production that Nigeria has. This has some implications because it requires that we compete with countries that are in the Middle-East before we can sell our gas well. To achieve this goal, we may have to offer disocunts to buyers,” he said.

    He said Nigeria has some expectations about trajectory of prices, arguing that the country may not achieve it unless it looks for other markets. He said the price of gas in the US will have a long-term effects on the international prices of gas, advising Nigeria to prepare for the shocks that may arise from the development.

    Akinsiju said: “Because of the huge discovery in US, more volumes of gas would be release into the market. When the supply is high, the price would come down. That shows that market forces will come into play. There would likely be a fall in the long-term price of gas. When this happens, it would affect many exporters of natural gas.”

    The General Manager, External Affairs, NLNG, Dr Kudo Eresta-Eke, said the US’s growing gas reserves may have long-term effect on Nigeria, unless urgent steps were taken to address the problem.

    He said the US, which has been an importer of gas, is about reversing that status as a result of new discovery of Shale oil and gas, explaining that the discovery which was brought about by advancement in technology, has made the US an exporter of gas.

    He said once the US resolves the legal issues surrounding the exploration of its gas, Nigeria would have more volumes to compete with in the international market.

    “When there is plenty of supply, the price will be affected. The more the supply of gas, the less the price. When the price of gas is lower, the economies of countries with projected greenfield projects will suffer. Any greenfield project that has not established itself would have problems. Such projects would be difficult to sustain. The projects that are likely to be sustained are projects that are not only on ground, but are recording profits, Eresia-Eke, said, adding that once the price of gas becomes lower, new entrants would find it difficult to enter the market.

    The President of the Nigerian Liquifield Petroleum Gas Association (NLPGA), Dayo Adesina, said the country must adopt measures to absorb shocks in the international gas market.

    He said market volatilities are not new, arguing that the Nigeria needs to prepare for them in view of the increase in the number of gas exporters.

    Adeshina urged the government to step up efforts to create new markets as competition hots up globally, stressing that gas exporting countries, including Nigeria must be wary of competition from their counterparts with bigger reserves if they want to survive.

    He said over $400million investments were recorded by operators in the Liquifield Petroleum Gas (LPG) segment in the past five years, adding that the investments cover areas such as construction of terminals,depots and bottling plants, among others.

  • NLNG set to increase cooking gas supply

    The Nigerian Liquifield and Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited has assured consumers that it will supply enough Liquifield Petroleum Gas (LPG), also known as cooking gas, to the market.

    To do this, it has increased the supply of the product from 150,000 to 250,000 metric tonnes per year.

    The General Manager, Public Affairs, NLNG, Dr Kudo Eresia-Eke said this was informed by the need to forestall a glut and make consumers access the product.

    He said the organisation is committed to deepening the local market, and provide consumers with alternative and cheaper source of cooking materials.

    He denied that gas plants had not been getting constant supply of the products.

    He said: Our goal is to increase the use of LPG in the country. This made us to increase metric tonnes of cooking gas from 150, 000 to 250, 000, after realising that consumers are showing more interest in the product.”

    Meanwhile, the President, Petroleum and Technology Association of Nigeria(PETAN) Mr Emeka Ene said the domestic consumption of the product is relatively lower compared to some West Africa countries.

    He said the scarcity created by the NIMASA/NLNG face off was yet to abate, adding that consumers had not been accessing the product.

    He said NLNG’s decision to increase the supply of cooking gas was good but that this should be monitored.

    “We still need to step up the processing and production of gas locally to acheive meaningful growth in the country. When enough gas is processed for domestic users, the development would galvanise economic activities and the country grow.

    “I think we can generate a lot of revenue from domestic use of LPG, if enough commitment is showing to its production and marketing,” he added.

    He said efforts should be geared towards supplying gas plants’operators with the product, adding that it would serve as a better alternative to kerosene.

     

  • 2013 NLNG Poetry Prize:The return of the Diaspora

    2013 NLNG Poetry Prize:The return of the Diaspora

    As the excitement which followed the announcement of the long list for the 2013 NLNG Poetry Prize continues, the selection of the three names that would eventually be announced for the short list will revitalise an age long debate in the Nigerian literature community: the debate is where better literature is sourced from.

    In 2009 no winner was announced as none of the over 200 poetry works submitted were deemed befitting of receiving the $100, 000 Prize. As expected, the decision raised a dust as to the restriction placed on Nigerian writers from the diaspora against their home based counterparts. The rule then was that only those residents at home were fit to enter for the coveted prize.

    Perhaps the 2009 hiatus could be said to be the major reason validating against the argument barring writers residing outside the country. With the dust settled to allow writers from the diaspora to put in entries, Chika Unigwe, a writer based in Belgium emerged the first Nigerian in the Diaspora to clinch the prize with her novel On Black Sisters Street in 2012.

    The standing of the 11 poets whose work were long listed for this year’s prize out of the over 200 entries received gives the premonition that the selection of the short list and the eventual winner would be a keenly contested affair. Almost all the writers have to their credits works which have enjoyed rave reviews and won awards and recognition at home and abroad. There is a strong posing from the academia as two great writers from the world of ‘chalk and blackboard’ would also test their wit among the constellation of stars aiming for this year’s honour. Prof Remi Raji’s Sea of my Mind and Femi Osofisan’s Seven Stations up the Stairways (with the pen name Okinba Launko) are the referencing points in this regard.

    Sexist in writing also comes to the fore as two female poets have their eyes etched on the prize. A debutante, Iquo Eke made the long list with her entry Symphony of Becoming which Lola Soneyin describes as “reflective lines that stir and delight”. Eke is also alumnus of the Ebedi International Writers Residency Programme in Iseyin, Oyo State. For Ogochukwu Promise with her entry Wild Letters, winning the prize will further reinforce her stature as a poet of no mean standing, her gender notwithstanding. The University of Ibadan alumnus has won prizes and fellowships both locally and overseas. She is a well-travelled writer who has toured countries in Europe, Asia and America.

    Other home based writers whose profound scribbled verses stood them in the ring this year include Tade Ipadeola (The Sahaba Testament), Egbewo G’ebinyo (Marsh Boy and Other Poems), Gomba Obari (Length of Eyes) and Nnadi Amu’s Through the Windows of a Sandcastle.

    If the pendulum swings to any of the trio of Ede Amatoritsero (Globetrotter and Hitler’s Children), Afam Akeh (Letter Home and Biafran Nights) and Obi Nwakanma (Birth Cry) then Buchi Emecheta’s statement in an interview in 1986 that “writing coming from Nigeria sounds quite stilted while that of a person who is from diaspora is enjoyable because it sounds academic and perfect” stands to be proven. As the journey to the selection of the final three and the eventual winner closes in in a matter of weeks, then it is apt to say that this year’s win will go a long way in affirming or debunking her assertion.

  • Fed Govt yet to meet 13GWs target

    Despite the rise in private sector investment in energy, the Federal Government has yet to meet the estimated power supply target of 13 giga watts(GWs).

    The Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy Department, Nigerian Liquifield and Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited, Ezekiel Adeniyi, said the current power generation was estimated at between 4.2 and 4.5GWs.

    According to him, there are investment opportunities in the gas sector as domestic gas consumption is growing at a high Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) when compared to other gas endowed nations.These include gas transmission, exploration and the gas value chain

    He said there was need for capacity expansion utilisation, mostly in natural gas for generated converted to combine cycle gas turbines(CCGT). There is also need for additional implementation of Greenfield Combined Cycle Gas Turbines power plants to tap these opportunities adding that gas plays a significant role in power generation.

    Some of the thermal power plants in operation in the country, he said, were single open cycle gas turbines, adding that, there is need for closure of selected existing single cycle Gas Turbines because limited energy efficiency that could be attained by those plants.

    He said transforming a single cycle plant to a combined cycle would increase the plant’s efficiency, making investment in cycle more profitable than CCGT plants.

    The existing single cycle gas turbines in the country when converted to CCGT, he said, could generate additional power capacity above the current installed grid capacity without additional fuel combustion.

    Adesina identified inadequate funding, low private investment, poor fiscal regime and incentives and inadequate energy mix portfolio as major constraints of the power sector.

    He said over dependence on natural gas sources of power generation, low awareness on the use of alternative source of power generation, low utilisation of alternative source of energy, low fiscal policies to promote other usage of energy, high cost of power generation from renewable based power generation technologies, ignorance and lack of technical know-how on alternative source of power generation also contributed to power failure.

    Nigeria, he said, was endowed with renewable energy resources, which if adequately harnessed would serve as alternative solution for low power generation.

  • Minister summons NNPC over unremitted $8.476b NLNG dividends

    Minister summons NNPC over unremitted $8.476b NLNG dividends

    • NEITI unveils $1.7b exchange rate difference, N175.9b discrepancies

    The Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala yesterday summoned the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Group Managing Director (GMD), Andrew Yakubu, for the corporation’s refusal to remit a total of $8.476billion as reported by the previous Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) audit.

    She said the NNPC received $4.84billion as dividends and repayment from the Nigerian Liquiedfied Natural Gas (NLNG), which it was yet to remit to the Federation Account.

    Besides, the report revealed that the corporation received another $3.99billion without remitting it to the Federation Account.

    The minister spoke at the public presentation of the the NEITI 2009-2011 oil and gas physical and audit report in Abuja. She asked the GMD to see her for private discussions on the financial issues.

    Okonjo-Iweala noted that after a robust discussion with the NNPC boss, she , as the Minister of Finance could afford to depend on the remittance for additional revenue.

    Her words: “GMD, you are welcome back. I missed you because I was citing some of the words from NEITI and I said some of us are assembled here (the right people) because they pointed out some remittances from NLNG, amounting to over $8billion for a period of time-2006-2009, which we need to discuss.

    “As the Minister of Finance, I don’t want it on the floor here. We need a very robust conversation about this money because I can depend on it as a Minister of Finance that this is additional revenue. “

    The minister also drew attention of the stakeholders at the event to the issue of exchange rate.

    She said that the areas of discussion with the corporation, included the exchange rate differences, which were not resolved in the declaration of revenue by NNPC.

    The NEITI chairman, Mr. Ledum Mittee said the NEITI report observed poor inventory management, which accounted for the difficulty in determining balances for imported products.

    The report, said Mittee, noted, “NEITI also discovered a lingering worrisome situation where there is no agreed pricing methodology between NNPC and the companies for determination of fiscal values for royalty and PPT computations.

    “In addition, the MoU for joint venture partners JV’s which expired in 2008 is yet to be renewed, yet the companies covered by JV are still using the expired MoU in their transactions with Nigeria, resulting in a difference between NNPC and covered entities positions over $1.7billion between 2009-2011, which are reported by the auditors as revenue losses to the Federation.”

    On decline of the government crude oil productions, crude liftings and revenue accruable to the Federation, the report identified that there was inadequate funding of the JV operations.

    It also noted that all refineries are operating below their name plate capacities resulting in a situation where 80 per cent of crude oil allocated to local refineries is exported for off-shore processing, crude oil and product exchange.

    The chairman explained, “the report has negative consequences on revenue accruable to the Federation Account. According to the report, “the combined loss to Nigeria in the Offshore Processing, Crude and Products Exchange within the period under review was over $866million.”

    NEITI disclosed that Nigeria made total subsidy payments of N3trillion to importers of refined petroleum products.

    It said: “This is made up of N1.4trillion fuel subsidy claims by the NNPC for the period 2009-2011 and a total of N1.60trillion paid to other marketers during the same period. The report observed that the disparity between subsidy claims paid from the Federation Account and that made by the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) was N175.9billion during the same period.”

    Mr Mittee however said Nigeria recorded a total crude oil production of over 2.5billion barrels, an increase of 4.8 per cent over 2006-2008.

    Meanwhile, the Group Managing Director of the NNPC has reiterated the commitment of the Corporation to work with the NEITI in the pursuit of its mandate in ensuring transparency and accountability in the oil and gas industry and the entire extractive industry in general.

  • Crisis brews in NLNG over $100m severance package

    Crisis brews in NLNG over $100m severance package

    •Retiring staff get 7 days’ ejection notice
    •Management: Concerned staff paid all entitlements

     

    NIGERIA LNG Limited, the nation’s foremost liquefied natural gas producer, just fresh from a battle with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, (NIMASA) is locked in another disagreement with some staff over the payment of $100million severance package, The Nation can authoritatively report.

    At issue is that the board met in London on July 19 and ratified the payment of $100million as severance package to retiring staff with the planned implementation of the exercise in phases up till September. But the management overruled the board by reneging on the agreed payments as well as issued a 7-day ejection notice requesting affected staff to leave the company by Wednesday, July 31st.

    Confirming this development, a source in NLNG who would not be named because he is not authorised to speak with the press confided in The Nation that the staff and management of the company have squared up as result of the refusal of the former to honour the agreement.

    Giving insight on how the agreement was struck, the source recalled that “Two years ago before the NLNG moved its headquarters to Port Harcourt, the management had expressed its willingness to implement a voluntary severance scheme for staff willing to go on retirement. However, following the release of the guideline for the scheme in February this year, 60 persons met the condition and their names were sent to the board for consideration. The board met in London and approved $100million as budget expense for the severance package and also gave September 30th for the full implementation of the exercise in phases.

    “But contrary to the board’s approval, the management issued a circular last week that concerned staff have up till July 31st to leave the company without regard for procedure.

    “Nobody has been paid. What they did was to compute what is due to the staff based on the guidelines after deducting some money from staff who got the company to guarantee loans and other stuff. What I know is that by Monday the affected staff are expected to have tendered their application and possibly get paid on Tuesday and await final ejection on Wednesday.”

    Shedding light on what the company policy states prior to any disengagement exercise, the source said: “When a staff is being disengaged he or she is expected to go through an exit interview and possible succession plan. But in this case there was nothing of the sort. Rather what we have seen is that the company is in a hurry to discard the affected staff because of the money it has paid NIMASA. It is trying to cut cost at the expense of procedures.”

    NLNG reportedly lost about $525 million as a result of the dispute with NIMASA. It subsequently agreed to pay $140 million in disputed levies to NIMASA, to end the three-week blockade of shipments from its export terminal.

    According to sources, the average age of affected staff is 45 years, most of who have put in between 15 and 17 years in service work at the Plant and Shipping Department and are resident in Bonny Island. “The affected staff built the plant from the scratch when it was just a mangrove swamp and is it an irony of fate that the same staff who have left a legacy of meritorious service over the years are being antagonised by a recalcitrant management who are not ready to pay them their dues and emoluments.”

    The source said the affected staff are prepared to take the management to court in order to exercise their legal rights. But Dr. Kudo Eresia-Eke, General Manager, External Relations, NLNG, debunked claims that there was crisis over severance package.

    “It’s a non issue. The issue is that staff wanted to go. I can tell you that every staff who volunteered to go have all their entitlements worked out for which many of them were grateful. I spoke to many of them over the weekend and they said they were very grateful. It is not even fair on the affected staff to say that they got millions because doing that has serious security risk. They even commended the company for honouring the agreement with fidelity despite spending so much on the NIMASA case.”

    He added, “What the company said is that you can go as early as 31st July 27, 2013. July 31st date is not sacrosanct. Those on exigencies of duty can stay longer. Most staff by the way do not have houses provided by the company. What is certain is that for staff who have any outstanding issue to resolve or has work schedules to complete can liaise with their supervisors who can make case for extension up to a few weeks or even months.”

    NLNG is owned by four shareholders, namely, the Federal Government of Nigeria, represented by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC (49%), Shell Gas BV (25.6%), Total LNG Nigeria Limited (15%), and Eni International (N.A,) N. V. S. a. r. l (10.4%).

     

  • How to avoid another NLNG/NIMASA feud, by activist

    NIGERIANS have been advised to learn how to use dialogue, the judiciary and public-private initiative to resolve their disputes to avoid the re-currence of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and Nigerian Liquified and Natural gas (NLNG) clash.

    An energy lawyer/activist, Mr Gbite Adeniji, said the crisis would not have persisted had the two parties sought legal interpretations of the problems from the beginning.

    ‘He said: “Though the parties have gone to court on two occasions, they did not explore the option of the judicial system when the problem started. In the beginning, the crisis was reduced to blame shifting. From all indications, the feud between the two agencies has taught Nigerians one big lesson – the judiciary has the power to resolve thorny issues. Ultimately, the judicial system has provided clarity to the situation as evident by the court judgment, “ he said.

    Adeniji urged Nigerians to approach issues that are capable of creating problems to the economy from legal perspective, adding that this is the only way to save the country from future crisis.

    He said: “Now that the court has stepped in, we all see how the crisis was resolved between the two parties. If not that the court waded into the crisis, the problem would persist.”

    Also, the President, Petroleum and Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), Mr Emeka Ene, said an integrated approach would have helped the country to prevent crisis.

    He said groups such as the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria(MAN), Petroleum and energy associations, government’s bodies among others must be invited to proffer solutions whenever problems transpires.

    “What happened between the two organisations is a lesson for Nigeria. There was no all-inclusive approach to solving the problem between them in the beginning. If such things had existed, the issue would not been prolonged. The reason is because professional groups or associations are made up of technocrats who can come together to engage in cross fertilisation of ideas to put volatile issue under control,” he said.

    Ene said everybody on both sides of the fence wants to move the country forward, stressing that inability to reach a compromise affected the relationship between the two institutions.

    He advised stakeholders to try and reach a compromise on or before they get out of hands, adding that ability to shift ground would help organisations either private or public to forestall crisis in the future.

  • Kerosene price may go up over cooking gas scarcity

    The scarcity of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) (cooking gas), a fallout of the disagreement between Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and Nigerian Liquified and Natural Gas (NLNG) may push up the price of kerosine.

    The President, Nigerian LPGas Association (NLPGA), Dayo Adeshina, said the face-off between the two government agencies was grounding activities, especially in the LPG sub-sector.

    He said if the scarcity continued it may result in the price of kerosene going up to N250 per litre. The demand for kerosene, he said, increased because of the scarcity of LPG.

    “We may not appreciate the enormity of the situation we have on our hands now, until we get to a time the problem gets out of hand. The truth is that by the time LPG depots are dried up, consumers of cooking gas will have no other option than to depend on kerosene for their cooking. So, as the demand for the product increases, the price of the product will go up, too, according to the law of demand.

    “So, with the product being sold currently at N130, consumers may yet pay as much as N250 or more for a litre as the current scarcity of cooking bites harder.”

    He said the three LPG terminals in Lagos, including PPMC, Navgas and NIPCo, had dried up as the vessel, Gaz Providence, which was to supply them the product, has been detained and prevented from berthing.

    Adeshina said the development was not healthy for the industry and the economy as the crisis, if not addressed, may worsen the scarcity even after the vessel is released and allowed to discharge its content.

    “Just as we seek the immediate release of Gaz Providence, we will also like to implore the government to intervene so that the two warring parties can sheathe their sword in the interest of the country. This is because the vessel being detained is a 9,000 tonnes capacity one, despite the monthly consumption being over 12,000 tonnes.

    “So, what this means is that even if the vessel is released today, it would only be able to meet consumption for no more than one month. By this it means that if the standoff between NIMASA and NLNG is not resolved before then, we may be going from a bad-to- worse situation.

    Adeshina said the call for the release of the vessel was not borne out of sentiments but sound reasoning as the owners of the vessel had paid necessary fees.

    “This is not about taking sides between the two parties, but about following sound logic.We believe nothing stops NIMASA from releasing the vessel even while it pursues its case with NLNG.This is because the owners of the vessel have paid all statutory fees and so should be allow to discharge the contents of the vessel for onward supply to terminals and depots,” he said.

  • Court adopts NIMASA, NLNG settlement terms

    Court adopts NIMASA, NLNG settlement terms

    A Federal High Court, Lagos, yesterday entered a consent order in the dispute between the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigeria LNG Limited.

    Justice Mohammed Idris gave the verdict after parties informed him they had reached an amicable settlement in the meantime.

    NLNG’s counsel, Olawale Akoni (SAN), withdrew the contempt proceedings against the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke (SAN).

    The court subsequently struck out the contempt charge, and dismissed those of the other defendants, including the contempt charge against NIMASA, for being defective.

    The letters, which formed the basis of the judgment, were dated July 5 and July 12, 2013.

    NLNG and NIMASA agreed the agency will immediately revoke the detention order of NLNG vessels and release them.

    The revocation will be subject to NLNG making the payments to NIMASA.

    NLNG was owing NIMASA a total USD158million. The firm has paid $20million out of the total sum.

    The July 12 letter said: “Subject to NLNG continuing to make payment for all applicable NIMASA levies (three per cent NIMASA levies and Sea Protection levy), NIMASA undertakes not to detain NLNG-owned or chartered vessels.

    “NLNG undertakes to pay outstanding levies attributable to the FOB and Cabotage vessels if they fail to make payment within three months of the date of this letter.

    “Going forward, NIMASA is at liberty to collect these levies directly from the FOB and Cabotage vessels without further recourse to NLNG.”

    The letter, signed by NLNG Managing Director, Babs Omotowa, said the firm’s payments will continue to be made without prejudice to the legal rights of all parties to seek appropriate judicial interpretation and resolution up to any level allowed under the constution.

    He added that NLNG has already made payment of $20million to NIMASA for the three per cent NIMASA levy.

    “This sum will be deducted from the amount stated as due in your (NIMASA) letter.

    “As agreed between NIMASA and NLNG, an oral application shall be made to the court today (yesterday) by our lawyers which shall not be opposed by NIMASA lawyers and other lawyers in the ongoing suit to allow for the above payments to be made,” Omotowa wrote.

    After the case was called, NIMASA’s lawyer, Mike Igbokwe (SAN), informed the court about the agreement and asked that the letters be adopted by the court as consent order.

    He said: “My Lord, there have been some positive developments in respect of this suit and the applicants which had let to exchange of correspondence and telephone discussions between the plaintiff (NLNG), the first defendant (Attorney-General) and NIMASA and which were conveyed to the second defendant (Global West) counsel.

    “The discussions involved counsel for all parties. I have before me a letter dated 12th July 2013, written to NIMASA by the plaintiff containing the agreement that had been reached between the plaintiff and NIMASA which the Attorney-General and Global West had already been informed about.

    “We have agreed that the contents of this letter which NIMASA and the plaintiff intend to start implementing today should form the basis of a consent order to be made by the Honourable Court.”

    Akoni confirmed the agreement and did not raise any objections.

    “On the basis of the letter, we urge the court to make a consent order. On behalf of the plaintiff, I confirm that the parties have had discussions and there have been exchange of correspondence,” he said.

    Attorney-General’s counsel, Fabian Ajogwu (SAN), and Global West’s lawyer, Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN), both confirmed the agreement reached in the letter and did not raise any objections.

    Ruling, Justice Idris said: “The letters dated July 5, 2013 and July 12, 2013 are hereby made the consent order of this court.”

    He adjourned till September 19 for mention.