Non-compliance: Court strikes out Shell Ltd’s move to stop N18 billion payment to FG

The Federal High Court Abuja has struck out the case filed by Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited which requested an order nullifying the House of Representatives investigation which directed it to pay N18,418,579,188 to the federal government over its alleged non-compliance to relevant laws in the country.

Shell, through its lawyer, Chukwuka Ikwuazom SAN, sued the House of Representatives and its Speaker, asking Justice Inyang Ekwo to hold that the defendant’s committee do not have the constitutional powers to carry out investigative hearings and adjudicate on matters outside their legislative competence.

The Head of, the National Assembly Relations Department of Shell, Sabita Tauheed, in the company’s affidavit in support, deposed that despite the reasons advanced by her company to the Committee by a letter dated 1 November 2023.

On the need for the House/the Committee to desist from purporting to conduct an unconstitutional investigation, the Committee wrote a further letter to the Plaintiff dated 2 November 2023, demanding the payment of the sum of N18,418,579,188 (Eighteen Billion, Four Hundred and Eighteen Million, Five Hundred and Seventy-Nine Thousand, One Hundred and Eighty-Eight Naira) and directing the plaintiff to attend a further public hearing on 16 November 2023.

She stated that the Committee also reiterated its threats to Shell that it would invoke its powers under section 89 of the 1999 Constitution if it did not comply with the Committee’s demands.

She added,”

But the defendant’s legal team led by J.O. Olorunsiaye, asked the court to strike the case for being incompetent and being a disregard to the lawmakers.

He argued, “

However, Shell filed a notice of discontinuance dated March 1, 2024, and was seen by ThePressNG.

It reads,

At the resumed sitting on Monday, the applicant orally applied to discontinue the case and the court struck it out.