Court bars state governments from controlling inland waters

State governments in Nigeria has no authority to legislate and enforce compliance of its legislation that affect the use, management and control of Inland waterways, Federal High Court of Nigeria in Port-Harcourt has declared.

General Manager, Corporate Affairs Department, Jibril Darda’u, in a statement said the Federal High Court of Nigeria in the Port-Harcourt Judicial Division holding at Port-Harcourt before his Lordship Hon. Justice I.S Mark in his judgment recently orders that: “A state government has no authority/power to legislate on (and enforce compliance of its legislation that affect) the use, management and control of Inland waterways in Nigeria as it is exclusively within the control of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) by virtue of the constitution and the Act establishing NIWA by the National Assembly.

The judge gave the order in the Suit No: FHC/PH/CS/142/2022 between Bright Waters Energy Limited (plaintiff) and the Honorable Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, River State, the Hon. Commissioner of Environment, Rivers State and Petroleum Financial Corporate (PFC) as defendants.