A Chinese company, Zhongfu International Investment Limited has dragged the Ogun State government and the Nigeria Export Processing Zone Authority (NEPZA) before a federal high court in Abuja to challenge its purported removal as the Manager of the multi-billion naira Ogun-Guandong Free Trade Zone.
Ogun State government was said to have on March 15, 2012 appointed the company as the Manager and Administrator of the trade zone and the appointment was subsequently endorsed by NEPZA on behalf of the federal government to enable the firm carry out the day to day management of the zone.
However by another letter of May 27, 2016 the Ogun State government among others, purportedly terminated the appointment of the foreign company as manager and operator of the zone without a just cause.
In a suit with No, FHC/ABJ/CS/60/2016 filed by Gbolahan Elias SAN on behalf of the plaintiff, the federal high court was asked to stop NEPZA from giving effect to the purported action of the Ogun State government against the company.
The court was also urged to stop the defendants from harassing, intimidating and hindering the company and its workers from carrying out their lawful duties based on the agreement executed in respect of the management and supervision of the trade zone by the company.
In an affidavit of urgency in support of a motion on notice and deposed to by one Timilehin Ehibuzor Wigwe, the plaintiff claimed to be a free zone enterprise in the Ogun-Guandong free trade zone at Igbesa, Ogun State and duly registered by NEPZA.
In the 36 paragraph affidavit, the plaintiff said that prior to 2008, the Ogun State government in a bid to promote economic activities and develop the state, approached it along with other investors for collaboration for the purpose of developing a multi-purpose free trade zone in the state.
Plaintiff averred that it was appointed administrator of the zone in 2012 and that the appointment was consequently approved by NEPZA on behalf of the federal government on April 10 same year.
Within months of the appointment, the deponent claimed that the plaintiff attracted foreign investor and increased tenants at the trade zone from five to fifty while it also invested $65, 800,000 on provision of infrastructures at the zone due to the growing in the number of tenants.
Besides, the plaintiff claimed that another $1,013,000,000 worth of investment was being attracted to the zone because of its wide international business connections.
The affidavit averred that the Nigeria Customs Service has been generating a monthly revenue of N50M for the federal government through imports and exports control.
To its chagrin, plaintiff averred that the Ogun State government by a letter dated May 27, 2016 purported to have terminated its appointment as the manager of the trade zone without a just cause other than a letter said to have been written by the economic and consulate section of the consulate general of China on March 11, 2016.
The affidavit indicated that NEPZA in collusion with Ogun State government no longer recognized it as the trade zone manager while its directors and other workers were being harassed, intimidated and humiliated in breach of the valid agreement.
Ogun State was said in the affidavit to be taking step to forcefully eject its facilities installed at the zone.
However when the matter came up, Elias SAN told Justice Okon Abang of his difficulties to serve court process on the defendants and urged the judge to grant him a short adjournment.
However, Justice Abang in his short ruling ruled that his tenure as a vacation judge will expire on September 9 and that he would not be able to complete the matter.
He subsequently referred the suit to the Chief Judge of the court, Justice Ibrahim Auta for a re-assignment to another judge after the vacation that will end next week.
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