Paris Club Dispute: Govs Insist on Legal Solution

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum has insisted on a legal solution to the dispute over the Federal Government’s planned payment of the $418 million Paris Club Refund fee to some consultants.

The NGF also objected to FG’s decision to privatise 10 National Integrated Power Projects, insisting that the issue should be left to the court to decide. It said it had instituted a suit against the FG on the matter and obtained a court order through its lawyers restraining all the parties in the suit from taking any step or action that will make or render the outcome of the motion on notice seeking for interlocutory injunction nugatory.

These are part of the Forum’s resolutions at the teleconference meeting it held on Tuesday, which communiqué was read by its chairman and Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal.

“Regarding the $418 million Paris Club Refund and promissory notes issued to consultants by the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Debt Management Office (DMO), the forum remains resolute in exploring all legal channels available to it in ensuring that resources belonging to states are not unjustly or illegally paid to a few in the guise of consultancies.

“The forum, following its advocacy that the proposed privatisation of 10 National Integrated Power Projects (NIPPs) by the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) should be stopped, instructed its lawyers to approach the Federal High Court which, at present, has issued a court order restraining all the parties in the suit from taking any step or action that will make or render the outcome of the motion on notice seeking for interlocutory injunction nugatory.

“The effect of the order of the court is that respondents cannot proceed with the proposed sale of the power plants belonging to the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHCL) until the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.”

The NGF further stated that it was working with the FG to ameliorate the impact of the recent flood crisis especially in the area of food security.

“The forum is monitoring the flood situation across the country and working with the Federal Government, through the National Economic Council (NEC) and in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development (FMHDSD), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning (FMFBNP) and the World Bank to prepare emergency interventions to ameliorate the impact of the flood crisis especially to sustain food security.

“Sequel to discussions between sub-sovereigns at the recently concluded 2nd African Sub-Sovereign Government Network (AfSNET) conference, the forum agreed to pursue through its membership on the Forum of Regions of Africa (FORAF) and its partnership with the African Export–Import (AFREXIM) Bank, support for enhanced dialogue, cooperation and collaboration between sub-sovereign governments around intra-African trade, investment, industrialization, and development.

“Members were also briefed by the World Bank Task Team Leader (TTL), Professor Foluso Okunmadewa on the desired restructuring of the $750 million Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus Program (CARES) programme to respond to Nigeria 2022 Flood Response following discussions with states and the National Economic Council (NEC) Ad hoc Committee on flooding.”