Library / IN THE FEDERAL HIGH COURT OF NIGERIA [N THE ABUJA JUDICIAL DIVISION HOLDEN AT ABUJA ON MONDAY, THE 5™ DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2024

IN THE FEDERAL HIGH COURT OF NIGERIA [N THE ABUJA JUDICIAL DIVISION HOLDEN AT ABUJA ON MONDAY, THE 5™ DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2024

Page 33 of 44

Open the PDF at page 33

When the Court is called upon to interpret a statute such as the PTA 2021, 
MDPOR 2023 and the PTS Regulations 2023, the Court must abide by the cardinal 
principles of interpret ation which has been laid down for ages; see Braithwaite 
¥. STB. (Mg.) Lid. 
2012) 
.9 NWLR (Pt. 1305) 304 at 319-320 where 
it was 
stated that: 
4 
“It 
is 
a. cardinal principle of interpretation of statutes that where the 
provisions 
of 
words 
of 
a 
statutes 
or 
document 
are 
clear 
and 
unambiguous, 
the courts are enjoined 
to give them their ordinary 
grammatical meaning. In other words, such words should be given their 
‘literal interpretation unless it would lead to absurdity or is inconsistent 
with other provisions of the statute as a whole. It is trite that a court of 
law 
should 
stop where 
the 
statute 
stops 
in 
the 
exercise 
of 
its 
interpretative jurisdiction. See Federa/ Republic of Nigeria 
v. Osahon 
(2006) 5 NWLR (Pt. 973) 361; Unipetrol Nigeria Pie v. 
ES. B.LR. (2006) 
8 NWLR (Pt. 983) 624; Attorney-General of Bayelsa State v. Attorney 
General of Rivers State (2006) 18 NWLR (Pt. 1012) 596.” 
| 
See also Migeria Ports Authority Pic v. Lotus Plastics Ltd. 
& Anor (2005) 19 
NWLR (Pt. 959) 158, Ojokolobo 
v Alamuy (1987) 3 NWLR (Pt. 61) 377 at 402, 
James v. INEC(2015)12 NWLR (Pt. 1474) 538 at 588, and Abacha v. FRI (2014) 
LPELR-22014 (SC) P. 48 (paras. A-D), Therefore, in the interpretation of statutes, 
it is the intention: of the lawmaker that the Court must seek to ascertain; see 
Saraki v. F.R.N. (2016) 3 NWLR (Pt. 1500) 531 at 620, thus, when interpreting 
the provisions of a statute, the Court must not ascribe meanings to clear, plain 
and unambiguous provisions in order to make such provisions conform to the 
Court's view of their meaning or what they ought to be; see A,-G. Federation y, 
Guardian Newspaper Ltd, (1999) 9 NWLR (Pt. 618) 187 at 264. 
JUDGEMENT IN 24S (NIGERIA) LTD, & ANOR, 
v. THE NIG. MIDSTREAM & DOWNSTREAM, PETROLEUM REGULATORY AUTHORITY. 
SUIT NO: FHC/ABI/CS/1480/2023