The Citizens Whistleblowers Coalition (CWC) has expressed concern over alleged efforts by a foreign shipping company and its Nigerian subsidiary to undermine Nigeria’s judicial system and sovereignty.
Speaking at a news conference in Port Harcourt yesterday, Mr Owhonda Nwakanma, Project Officer for Socio-Economic Rights at CWC, called on the federal government to investigate the company’s operations, reports NAN.
Reading from a petition addressed to the Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Lateef Fagbemi, Nwakanma outlined several alleged infractions by the global shipping firm against the country.
He accused it of treating Nigerian importers with contempt and acting in ways detrimental to the nation’s economy.
According to him, the company obtained an anti-suit injunction from the High Court in London to prevent a Nigerian construction company, Interglobal Technologies, from pursuing litigation in Nigerian courts.
“Interglobal Technologies alleges that the shipping giant unlawfully extorted over N49 million through falsified demurrage and detention charges,” he said.
Nwakanma condemned the company’s claim that only the London High Court has jurisdiction over disputes arising from shipping services rendered in Nigeria, describing the position as a flagrant disregard for Nigeria’s sovereignty and legal system.
He noted that the foreign firm had cited an exclusivity clause that purportedly grants the London Court sole jurisdiction in such matters.
He, however, countered this by referencing Section 20 of the Admiralty Jurisdiction Act of Nigeria, which invalidates such clauses when the place of performance or party residence is in Nigeria.
“The shipping company’s insistence on foreign jurisdiction is not only illegal but poses a significant threat to Nigeria’s economic interests, given the firm’s substantial annual revenue generated from Nigerian operations,” he said.
Nwakanma further alleged that the company’s Nigerian subsidiary, MSC Shipping Nigeria, has failed to accurately declare its revenue, despite Nigeria being the firm’s largest market in Africa.
He accused the company of tax evasion, while its parent firm reportedly earns a global annual revenue of 83 billion euros.
Calling for urgent government intervention, Nwakanma urged a thorough investigation into the company’s tax compliance and business practices within the country.
“The firm’s practices are oppressive and unfair to Nigerian stakeholders, especially regarding its imposition of demurrage and detention charges, and its preference for resolving disputes in foreign courts.
“A company that refuses to submit to the Nigerian judicial process is unlikely to comply with its tax and regulatory obligations,” he asserted.
He called on the Attorney General, security agencies, the judiciary, and other relevant regulatory bodies to thoroughly examine the company’s operations and ensure it is held accountable.
Nwakanma urged the federal government to bar the firm from providing shipping services within Nigeria should the company be found culpable.
