Court Rules On Ground Rent Case Against Power Firms June 10

Federal High Court (FHC) sitting in Minna, Niger State has fixed June 10, 2024, to determine whether or not to entertain a multi-billion naira ground rent and land charges case against the power generating companies operating in the state.

The court headed by Justice Abdullahi Mohammed Dan-Ige, yesterday, adjourned the cases that the Niger State Internal Revenue Service filed against the North-South Power Company Limited and its power generating station as well as the Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited and its power generating stations.

On that later date, the court will also hear all the pending applications on the matter.

However, counsel to the first and second defendants: The Federal Ministry of Power and the Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Company in the suit involving the Shiroro Hydro Electric Power and the Noth-South Power Company Limited, drew the attention of the court to its motion on notice, seeking the transfer of the case to the Niger State High Court which has the requisite jurisdiction.
He argued that the Federal High Court lacked the jurisdiction to adjudicate cases regarding lands and rent issues.

In response, the plaintiff’s counsel submitted that no relief was sought in the application of the first and second defendants and argued that the counsel misconstrued the suit.

He told the court that the case is an action seeking the interpretation and enforcement of the Niger State Administration Law 2022 as such urged the court to strike out the application for incompetence.
In the same vein, in the case involving Kainji Hydroelectric Power Company and Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited, the counsel adopted the same arguments. The trial judge (Justice Dan-Ige) adjourned the case to June 10, 2024, for ruling.