Wharf Landing Fees: Court Grants ANLCA Accelerated Hearing

Stories by FUNSO OLOJO

The legal tussle between the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) and the Lagos State government over the contentious wharf landing fees took the centre stage last Friday at the Federal High Court, Lagos.
ANLCA opened its case against the Lagos government before Justice Auta at court three where it sought three reliefs against the defendants.
Speaking through its lead counsel, Johnson Adekunle, the association of freight forwarders prayed the court to grant an interlocutory injunction, restraining the Lagos State House of Assembly from further debate and passing into law the bill on Wharf landing fees.
It also prayed the court to grant an accelerated hearing on the case in view of its importance and implication to the businesses of the plaintiffs.
The third relief sought by ANLCA was permission to serve the defendants the court summon.
Responding, Justice Auta declined to give an interlocutory injunction against the second defendant, claiming that he lacked the power to grant an injunction against a sitting House of Assembly.
The Judge however granted the other two reliefs sought by the plaintiffs.
Consequently, Justice Auta granted ANLCA leave to serve the defendants the court summon while he also assented to the plea for accelerated hearing when he fixed the next appearance for November 13th, 2008.    
It could be recalled that the registered Trustees of the ANLCA had dragged the Lagos State government to court over the proposed collection of regime of levies of imports that land at the Lagos ports.
In the suit filed by their counsel before the Federal High Court, Lagos, the members of Board of Trustees, on behalf of all the freight forwarders in Nigeria, are praying the court to stop the Lagos government, its servants, agents and privies from the proposed collection of Wharf landing fees and restraining the Lagos State House of Assembly from passing the bill into law.
Joined in the suit were the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly,the Executive governor of Lagos state,  Babatunde Raji Fashola and the Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Lagos State.