General Electric International Company (GEC), a United States-based
multinational corporation with a strong presence in Nigeria and enjoying
the patronage of the Federal Government in the oil and gas sector, has
accused the Federal Government and the Nigerian judiciary of alleged
promotion of inefficiency and corruption.
The plaintiff, Q Oil and
Gas Services Nigeria Ltd, had dragged the General Electric before a
High Court of Rivers State while the court had on September 29, 2010,
entered judgment in favour of Q Oil & Gas. The court further
directed General Electric to pay $5.5m as general damages to the
plaintiff.
The plaintiff further filed a petition before the US
court, asking it to direct General Electric to recognise the Nigerian
money judgment and pay the said general damages of $5.5m to the
plaintiff accordingly.
The plaintiff alleged further in a petition
asking the US Court to “recognise” a Nigerian court judgment in the sum
of $5.5 million entered against the defendant (General Electric) and
directed the defendant to pay the plaintiff the said $5.5m accordingly.
The plaintiff had filed the petition in pursuant to the Michigan Uniform
Foreign Country Money Judgments Recognition Act of 2008 (“UFCMJRA”).
But
in its motion for summary disposition of the petition to recognise the
Nigerian money judgment by Q Oil & Gas, General Electric is asking
the US Court not to recognise the Nigerian judgment on the grounds of
alleged corruption and lack of due process.
According to the
General Electric, the judgment can be faulted on the alleged grounds
that the verdict “was rendered under a judicial system that does not
provide impartial tribunals or procedures compatible with the
requirements of due process of law.” In its submission to the US Court
on why the Nigerian judgment must not be recognised in the US, the
General Electric also relied on the US State Department’s Country’s
Report on Nigeria for 2012 which contained certain damning findings
about the Nigerian judicial system.
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