Firm accuses NLNG of violating local content policy

By Richards Adeniyi

A company based in the Niger Delta, Macobarb International Ltd has accused the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) of violating the country’s local content policy by ‘fraudulently’ terminating its contract.

Macobarb’s Managing Director, MOgboru Shedrack, said recently that NLNG refused to follow through the contractual agreement they have on a security related project.

He noted the gas company had shown no interest in its (Macobarb’s) efforts to amicably settle the misunderstandings despite its (NLNG’s) persistent payments failures.

He said, “It is a disservice to the Federal Government’s efforts at fighting corruption when these elements portray Nigerian courts as dumping ground to buy time by offending parties or a place where justice is for sale to highest bidder, as NLNG who violates contract they crafted, boastfully ask abused contractor to go to court. This indeed is a disservice to Nigeria.”

He claimed that few persons, in connivance with others in the NLNG legal/litigation departments, are bent on putting Nigerian contractors out of business.

He, however, said the company would go to court to enforce its rights.

He said among demands Macobarb International Limited will be making are an order of Court directing Nigeria LNG Ltd to pay to it the sum of NGN957,676, 562.50 being the standing-by costs”; a declaration that the letter of termination of contract dated 27 November 2015 is “ineffectual and otiose”, as well as the payment of N200 million for damages owing to the breach and unlawful end of contract.