$9bn UK Judgment: FG to prosecute those involved in the contract

Yusuf Bello|

The Federal Government on Thursday said it will prosecute everyone linked with the $9bn judgment against Nigeria by a court in the United Kingdom.

The commercial court awarded the sum in favour of a private firm, Process and Industrial Developments Limited recently over a gas plant contract awarded by previous government.

Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami, announced the decision of the government to prosecute those involved at a news briefing in Abuja.

Malami said, “The Federal Government strongly views with serious concerns, the underhand manners by which the negotiation, signing, and formation of the contract was carried out by some vested interests in the past administration in connivance with their local and international conspirators, all in the bid to inflict grave economic adversity on the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the good people of Nigeria.”

Mr Malami questioned the sincerity of those behind the contract awarded in 2010 and alleged that it formed part of the inglorious legacies of past administrations.

“As a government that has the mandate of the people and their interest at heart, we shall not fold our arms and allow this injustice to go unpunished.”

“All efforts, actions, and steps shall be taken to bring to book all private individuals, corporate entities, and government officials; home and abroad, past and present that played direct and indirect roles in the conception, negotiation, signing, formation, as well as prosecution of the purported agreement,” he further stated.

Malami, however, assured that going forward, contract of certain categories would be vetted by the Federal Ministry of Justice before being signed by any government agency.