The Supreme Court has thrown out suit by the 36 state governments seeking to compel the Federal Government to account for its earnings from the sale of liquefied natural gas, natural gas liquids and related products since 1999.
In a unanimous judgment, a seven-member panel of the court, presided over by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji ruled that the court does not have the original jurisdiction to hear and determine the suit, which has the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, as the sole defendant.
Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, in the lead judgment, affirmed the preliminary objection raised against the suit by the AGF and held that the subject of the case had been dealt with by the Supreme Court in its earlier decision in the case of the Attorney General of Bauchi State against the AGF.
Justice Garba agreed with the defendant that the suit amounted to an attempt to re-litigate issues already decided by the Supreme Court in the AG, Bauchi v. AGF case, which relates to the revenues accruable to the government of the federation, which are payable into the federation account.
He held that the Supreme Court lacked the original jurisdiction to preside over and determine the case.
The judge proceeded to strike out the suit for want of jurisdiction to hear the case as presently constituted.
Other members of the panel, Justices Abba-Aji, Emmanuel Agim, Simon Tsammani, Stephen Adah and Jamilu Tukur, agreed with the lead judgment.
