A Lagos based oil and gas firm, Petrocam Trading Nigeria Plc., has dragged Union Bank of Nigeria Plc (UBN). before a Lagos High court over a breach of contract. The firm slammed a N6.7 billion suit against the lender.

In the case before the High Court in Lagos, Petrocam’s lawyer, Barrister Gboyega Oyewole (SAN) contended in the filed statement of claim that Union Bank flouted the joint venture agreement entered with the plaintiff to jointly collaborate in opening letters of credit confirmation lines for the importation of petroleum products.

The plaintiff averred that it had sometimes in 2014 secured an import finance facility from Union Bank for importation of petroleum products and raised letters of credit to utilize this import facility. The initial facility of $45 million was increased to $100 million. The company duly provided bank guarantees for the facility. There was also an understanding that the facility would be repaid from sales proceeds and oil subsidy reimbursements.

Under the agreement, Union Bank would secure foreign exchange for the company to enable it finance its international oil purchases. The company however claimed that the bank defaulted by failing to secure forex from the CBN during the 2014/.2015 period when 90 percent of the company’s import transactions were being conducted thereby causing the company to suffer huge losses.

It further claimed that out of the $76 million it required to finance the transactions covered by the agreement, Union Bank was only able to produce about $22 million, meaning that Petrocam could not complete a large percentage of the deals, leading to huge profit loss.

The company contended further that Union Bank failed to bid for foreign exchange when the exchange rate was between N155-160 to the dollar but only bided when the rate had increased to N288-320 per dollar, thereby deliberately inflating the costs of maintaining the dollar credit facility.


READ MORE: http://witnessngr.com/union-bank-dragged-to-court-over-n6-7bn/