"The War is Far from Over": Buhari Gives Details of How Nigeria Won $11bn P&ID Case in UK Court
- Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has revealed that Nigeria could have lost around $15 billion if it had not won the arbitration dispute with P&ID in the UK
- Buhari explained that his administration worked diligently to uncover evidence of bribery, perjury, and P&ID's possession of Nigeria's privileged internal legal documents
- The former president highlighted that the victory in the $11 billion P&ID case is a win against corruption but emphasised the ongoing need for greater transparency in awarding contracts in both the public and private sectors
Legit.ng journalist Nurudeen Lawal has 9 years of experience covering Presidential Administrations.
Daura, Katsina state - Nigeria's former president, Muhammadu Buhari, says the country would have parted with about $15 billion if it had lost its arbitration dispute with Process & Industrial Development (P&ID) in the United Kingdom (UK).
The former president disclosed this in an article, “A matter of principle”, which he released on Sunday, October 29.
Source: Twitter
$11bn P&ID case: How Nigeria won
Buhari noted that during his tenure, he had tasked his late former Chief of Staff Abba Kyari and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to find a way to get a fair hearing and ensure Nigeria is not robbed of its hard-earned revenue.
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His words:
"It was clear that far from the whole story had been told. I tasked Abba Kyari, my chief-of-staff and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, with finding a way, even at that late stage and despite so much conflicting advice, to get us a fair hearing.
"Working with a number of different agencies and senior officials of government, we began to find a huge amount of evidence, not all of which Justice Knowles was to accept. But he agreed that P&ID had paid bribes.
"He agreed that one of P&ID’s founders had committed perjury. And he agreed that P&ID had somehow found in its possession a steady supply of Nigeria’s privileged internal legal documents, outlining our plans, strategies and problems."
Buhari: What would have happened if Nigeria lost $11bn P&ID case
Buhari also noted that had Nigeria lost, the country would be so broke that it would not be financially capable of providing some basic infrastructures.
"Had Nigeria lost, it would have required schools not to be built, nurses not to be trained and roads not to repaired, on an epic scale, to pay a handful of contractors, lawyers and their allies - for a project that never broke ground," he wrote.
$11bn P&ID case: The war is far from over - Buhari
Writing further, the former president said though Nigeria has won the $11bn P&ID case, the war against corruption is far from over.
Buhari said Nigeria needs greater transparency in awarding contracts in the public and private sectors.
He added that there are many invisible contractors who quietly defraud Nigeria of millions of naira through out-of-court settlements.
According to Buhari, it was the "outlandish ransom" P&ID was asking for that exposed the contractors.
He wrote:
"Nigeria has won this battle with corruption, but the war is far from over. As Justice Knowles concluded: “This case has also, sadly, brought together a combination of examples of what some individuals will do for money. Driven by greed and prepared to use corruption; giving no thought to what their enrichment would mean in terms of harm for others. Others that in the present case include the people of Nigeria, already let down in so many ways over the history of this matter by a number of individuals in politics and administration whose duty it was to serve them and protect them.” Well said."
What is the $11bn P&ID case?
The $11 billion P&ID case refers to a legal dispute between the Nigerian government and a British engineering firm called Process and Industrial Developments (P&ID).
The conflict arose from a failed gas supply contract in 2010, where P&ID was supposed to construct a gas processing plant and the Nigerian government was to supply gas.
However, the project never materialised, and P&ID sued Nigeria, claiming breach of contract. In 2017, a British court ruled in favour of P&ID and awarded them $6.6 billion in damages. Subsequently, the case has seen various legal battles and negotiations, with the awarded amount, including accrued interest, potentially reaching $11 billion.
Nigeria eventually emerged victorious in its legal battle against P&ID in a London court on Monday, October 23.
Tinubu reacts as Nigeria wins P&ID case in UK court
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu commended the landmark victory of the federal government in the P&ID case.
Tinubu applauded the UK court for prioritising the merits of the case above all other considerations.
His reaction was contained in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale on Wednesday, October 23.
Source: Legit.ng
