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Commandclem, Inventor of QIT Paints, Says Appeal Court

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The Court of Appeal has ruled that Dr. Clement Uwemedimo of Commandclem Nigeria Limited is the statutory inventor of the Anti-Corrosive Special Paint for QIT (Transteel Blue, White Enamel) used in the production of crude oil, condensate, liquefied natural gas and other products.

In a judgement delivered by Justice Kumai Bayang Akaahs, the Appeal Court, Calabar Division, held that on the basis of Section 2 of the Patents and Designs Act Cap 433, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990, the right to a patent in respect of an invention is vested in the statutory inventor, that is to say, the person who, whether or not he is the true inventor, is the first to file, or validly to claim a foreign priority for a patent application in respect of the invention.

Justice Akaahs said the evidence adduced by Dr. Uwemedimo and Commandclem Nigeria Limited dates back to 1980 when the right to sue on the patent had accrued, noting that any infringement by the respondents or any other person will be actionable at the instance of the appellants starting from August 5, 1999 when the patent was registered by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

He said: “The learned trial judge was right to hold that at the time the defendant was said to have infringed plaintiff’s patent in the early 1980s, the plaintiffs did not have any patent to be infringed.

The plaintiffs only obtained their patent No. RP 13522 on August 5, 1999. At the time the Court of Appeal ruled that the claims in paragraph 29 (iii) (iv), (v) and (viii) of the Amended Statement of Claim were not affected by the Limitation Law, there was no consideration of the evidence to be adduced. If the evidence sustaining the reliefs fell between 1999 and 2001, the action would be maintained. “I am of the view that the respondent can enjoy the benefit created by S.2(4) of the Patents and Designs Act when a contract was subsisting between the parties at the time of the invention.”

On the issue of agreement between Dr. Uwemedimo or CommandClem Nigeria Limited and Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, to pay to Uwemedimo US$2.00 per barrel for every petroleum product produced by Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Justice Akaahs held that the law does not require that every contract must be in writing unless it is a contract made under seal or it is required by statute.

He said: “If indeed there was any verbal agreement made by the defendants (Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited) to pay the sum of $2.00 for every barrel of crude oil produced, the plaintiffs (Uwemedimo) were too hasty in making their “invention” known within so short a time between the first contact by the first plaintiff with the defendants on May 2, 1980 and the research results on June 26, 1980 as chronicled in exhibit 8A.

Justice Akaahs ruled that he did not agree that an agreement to pay $2.00 per barrel of every petroleum product to the plaintiffs would necessarily be against public policy.

He said: “There is no evidence to presume that the agreement being envisaged was to circumvent the provisions in the Petroleum Act or that it will prevent Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited from paying royalties to the Federal Government. An agreement freely entered into by the parties will be enforceable unless the agreement will facilitate the commission of a crime or breach any law.”

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

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National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

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In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
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