P&ID Case: Robinson Uwak Congratulates Tinubu

The Nigerian Government’s victory over the Process & Industrial Developments (P&ID) Limited is a relief for the nation and a strong rebuke of the country’s pattern of domestic and external contracting over the years.

This was according to Robinson Uwak, a former House of Representative member from Akwa Ibom State.

Reacting to Nigeria’s victory in a statement made available to THE WHISTLER, Uwak congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the victory.

Uwak, however, noted that the Federal Government must treat the judgment as a mild rebuke to Nigeria’s domestic and external contracting where breaches are rife, as well as corruption among some cadres of the civil service.

“The voiding of the sum, which would amount to half of our over N11 trillion, is a welcome relief to our dear country, Nigeria at a time of severe economic and social difficulties.

“I consider this lifeline given to us as a huge opportunity to save our foreign reserve, which has depleted considerably and revamp the potency of the naira,” Uwak added.

The former lawmaker advised the federal government to address loopholes in contracts and awards through urgent reforms “as there are still pending international arbitrations involving Nigeria.”

“Once again, I congratulate the President and Nigerians on this important victory,” he added.

In 2010, P&ID entered into an agreement with Nigeria to construct a gas processing plant in Calabar, Cross River State.

But the company claimed the deal collapsed because the Nigerian government failed to fulfill its end of the bargain.

P&ID then approached a London court, accusing Nigeria of breaching the terms of the contract.

The court ruled that Nigeria should pay P&ID $6.6 billion in damages, plus interest.

This award had grown to $11 billion by the time the case was finally resolved.

The Nigerian government appealed the judgment, arguing that the contract was obtained through fraud and bribery.

In a recent ruling, Justice Robin Knowles of the Business and Property Court in London agreed with the Nigerian government and overturned the award.

Justice Knowles found that P&ID had engaged in “a cynical scheme” to defraud Nigeria and that the contract was “void as being contrary to public policy.”

He also found that the Nigerian government had been “compromised” by the fraud and was unable to properly defend itself in the arbitration.