P&ID: UK court sets timeline for hearing

Nigeria on Friday appeared in the English High Court for a scheduled Case Management Conference over its case with P&ID.
The CMC was held for the Court to decide procedural issues relating to the application to set aside what the country considered the “arbitral award” to P&ID on the basis that it was procured by fraud and corruption.
This was disclosed in a statement by Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, the Special Assistant on Media to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, on Friday.
The statement said a timetable has now been fixed for a hearing to decide if the
application can be brought outside the normal time limits.
The statement said this is another positive milestone in Nigeria’s fight to overturn the award to P&ID.
It said: “Based on new and credible evidence discovered by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, it is increasingly clear that P&ID ‘contract’ was a highly orchestrated scam, involving a cover-up by ministers at the highest levels of office in the previous administration.
“These officials, who were entrusted to safeguard the future and assets of Nigeria, knowingly entered into the sham GSPA, and deliberately failed to defend the Federation in the ensuing arbitral proceedings.
“It is telling that to date P&ID have said nothing to rebut these allegations of fraud.
“These issues will now be before the Court to consider in relation to the Federation’s challenge to this award.”
P&ID has 28 days to respond to the application for the extension of the time to challenge the arbitral award.
Thereafter, the Court will set a date for hearing of the application.