The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPCL, has asked a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to strike out a suit filed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE, describing it as incompetent.
In a notice of preliminary objection filed by its team of lawyers led by Kehinde Ogunwumiju, SAN, before Justice Inyang Ekwo, the NNPCL, argued that the suit is premature.
In the application marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1324/2024, filed on November 15, NNPCL seeks two orders, which include an order of the court striking out the suit for lack of jurisdiction and alternatively, an order striking out its name from the suit.
The NNPCL, in a six-ground argument, said that Dangote Refinery lacked locus standi to institute the suit.
“The plaintiff’s suit is premature. The plaintiff’s suit discloses no cause of action. The 2nd defendant is not a competent party. The plaintiff’s suit is incompetent. This honourable court lacks the jurisdiction to hear this suit,” the NNPCL said.
In the affidavit in support of the application deposed to by Isiaka Popoola, a clerk in the law firm of Afe Babalola & Co, counsel to the NNPCL, he said one of their lawyers, Esther Longe who perused Dangote’s originating summons, affidavit and written address told him that an examination of the processes showed that the NNPC sued by the refinery was a non-existent entity.
Popoola averred that the court lacked jurisdiction over the 2nd defendant sued as NNPC.
“This 2nd defendant in this suit as consistently seen on the face of the plaintiff’s originating summons, the affidavit in support and the written address as Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPC.
“A simple search on the CAC website shows that there is no entity called “Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPC,” he said.
According to Popoola, the 2nd defendant/objector is not one and the same with the 2nd defendant sued by the plaintiff.
He said the NNPCL as sued by the refinery, is not a competent party or a juristic person.
Popoola, who averred that the suit is incompetent and ought to be struck out, prayed the court to grant their application in the interest of justice.
It had earlier been reported that three oil marketers had also prayed the court to dismiss the suit.
The oil marketers, in a joint counter affidavit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1324/2024, filed on November 5, 2024, in response to Dangote Refinery’s originating summons, told Justice Ekwo that granting that application would spell doom for the country’s oil sector.
According to them, the plan to monopolise the oil sector is a recipe for disaster in the country.
The three marketers – AYM Shafa Limited, A. A. Rano Limited and Matrix Petroleum Services Limited – in their response, said the plaintiff did not produce adequate petroleum products for the daily consumption of Nigerians.
Besides, they argued that there was nothing placed before the court to prove the contrary.
Dangote Refinery had sued Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) as 1st and 2nd defendants.
Also listed as 3rd to 7th defendants respectively in the originating summons dated September 6, 2024, are AYM Shafa Limited, A. A. Rano Limited, T. Time Petroleum Limited, 2015 Petroleum Limited, and Matrix Petroleum Services Limited.
It prayed the court to nullify import licences issued by NMDPRA to the NNPCL and five other companies for the purpose of importing refined petroleum products.
The company also prayed the court to declare that NMDPRA was in violation of Sections 317(8) and (9) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) by issuing licenses for the importation of petroleum products.
It stated that such licenses should only be issued in circumstances where there is a petroleum product shortfall.
It also urged the court to declare that NMDPRA is in violation of its statutory responsibilities under the PIA for not encouraging local refineries such as the company.
The company equally sought a N100 billion in damages against NMDPRA for allegedly continuing to issue import licences to NNPCL and the five companies for importing petroleum products.
These it said are Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and Jet Fuel (aviation turbine fuel) into Nigeria, “despite the production of AGO and Jet-A1 that exceeds the current daily consumption of petroleum products in Nigeria by the Dangote Refinery”.
Justice Ekwo fixed January 20, 2025, for report of settlement or service.
Import licence: NNPCL asks court to strike out Dangote Refinery’s suit