The Supreme Court docket has dominated that the Federal Authorities has unique management over actions on the nation’s inland waterways, together with levying and licensing operators within the sector.
The apex court docket held that it was mistaken, illegal, and unlawful for states to hunt to regulate the sector and impose levies on companies working within the nation’s inland waterways.
The judgment was given on the enchantment marked SC/CV/17/2018, filed by the Nationwide Inland Waterways Authority, the Minister of Mines and Metal Improvement, and the Minister of Transport.
Respondents to the enchantment have been the Lagos State Waterways Authority, the state’s Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Improvement, the state’s Lawyer-Common, the Governor of Lagos State, the Included Trustees of the Affiliation of Vacationer Boat Operators and Water Transportation of Nigeria, and the Included Trustees of Dredgers Affiliation of Nigeria.
The enchantment, filed in 2018, was prosecuted for the appellants by a staff of legal professionals led by Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), now the Lawyer Common of the Federation, and Minister of Justice.
The authorized battle over the management of inland waterways started in 2012 when the Lagos State Authorities, in Go well with No: FHC/L/CS/543/2012, dragged the Federal Authorities earlier than the Federal Excessive Court docket in Lagos.
Justice John Tsoho, who adjudicated over the case, dominated in favour of the Federal Authorities in 2014.
Displeased, the Lagos State Authorities approached the Court docket of Attraction, which overturned Justice Tsoho’s verdict and dominated in favour of the Lagos State Authorities on July 18, 2017.
Not happy, the Federal Authorities took the matter earlier than the Supreme Court docket, which on Friday determined in favour of the Federal Authorities by nullifying the court docket of enchantment verdict.
In its lead judgment written by Justice John Okoro and browse by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the Supreme Court docket held that current legal guidelines gave unique management of actions within the nation’s inland waterways to the Federal Authorities by way of its companies – the Nationwide Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, and the Nigerian Maritime Commonplace and Security Company.