Supreme Court Fixes January 17 To Hear Rivers’ Suit On Ceding Of Oil Wells To Imo

A file photo of the Supreme Court in Abuja.

The Supreme Court has fixed January 17, 2022 to hear the application challenging the jurisdiction of the court and the main suit, in the case instituted by the Rivers State Government, seeking to stop the Federal Government from ceding 17 oil wells in the state, to Imo State.

The seven-man panel led by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, fixed the date after counsels to the Attorney General of the Federation, and Imo State, Remi Olatubora (SAN) and Olushola Oke (SAN), told the court that they had two motions challenging the competence of the suit and the court’s jurisdiction.

According to them, they believe these motions, ought to take precedence over the main suit.

The legal team to the Rivers State Government however told the court their summons for direction by the court in streamlining the various applications, ought to take precedent.

He suggested that the motions by the Imo State Government should be heard with the main suit.

Rivers State had taken the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami and the Imo State Government, before the apex court.

The oil-rich state had sought a declaration that the boundary between Rivers and the Imo States, as delineated on Nigeria’s administrative map and other maps bearing similar delineations, are inaccurate and do not represent the legitimate boundaries between both states.

Plaintiff also sought a declaration that as far as Nigeria’s administrative map 10,11 and 12 editions and other maps bearing similar delineations relate to the boundaries between Rivers and Imo, the said maps are unlawful and void, cannot be relied on to determine the extent of the territorial governmental jurisdiction of Rivers state and to determine the revenue accruing to Rivers state from the federation account, including the application of the principle of derivation and other revenue allocation principles as contained in the 1999 Constitution.

It further applied that the Supreme Court declares that the correct instrument maps and documents, to be relied on determining the boundary between Rivers and Imo state, are those used by the plaintiff in delineating the boundary line between Rivers and Imo state.

Plaintiff also sought a declaration that all the oil wells within Akri and Mbede communities are wrongly attributed to Imo state and that they are all oil wells within the territory of Rivers state and form part of Rivers state and that it is only rivers that are entitled to receive the full allocation of the distributable revenue from the oil wells on the basis of the 1390 derivation as contained under section 162 of the 1999 constitution.

Rivers, therefore, sought an order of mandatory injunction directing the AGF to calculate, to its satisfaction, and refund to it all revenue that have been wrongly attributed to or paid to Imo state on account of the limit or extent of their territories, including earnings due to it from revenue derived from Akri and Mbede oil wells.

The plaintiff also sought an order of Injunction directing the AGF to withdraw from circulation its administrative map 10,11 and 12th editions and to refrain from relying on any of the said maps for the purpose of determining the boundary between Rivers and Imo state.

Rivers also applied for another order of mandatory injunction directing AGF to produce an administrative map bearing the correct boundary between Rivers and Imo state.

Court orders Okowa government to account for over N200bn education funds, allocations

Court orders Okowa government to account for over N200bn education funds, allocations The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, in a landmark judgment, has “ordered the disclosure of the spending details of over N200bn public funds collected by the government of former Delta State governor Ifeanyi Okowa from the Universal Basic Education Commission [UBEC] fund and allocations from the Federation Accounts.” The court ordered the Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to “disclose details of budgetary allocations and actual spending by the Okowa government between 2015 and 2019, including specific projects carried out to improve primary education in Delta State, and the locations of such projects.” The judgment was delivered by Honourable Justice Daniel Osiagor, following a Freedom of Information suit number: FHC/L/CS/803/2019, brought by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP). In his judgment, Justice Osiagor held that, “SERAP has cognizable legal right to inquire and

Olu Of Warri Defends Tradition, Speaks on Christianity

Olu Of Warri Defends Tradition, Speaks on Christianity The Olu of Warri, His Majesty Ògíamẹ̀ Atúwàtse III, has dispelled the insinuation that there is a conflict between the traditional thrones and Christendom. The monarch, who stated this when he received the Soun of Ogbomoso land, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, Orumogege III, in his Palace in Warri Kingdom, Delta State, said that the two institutions were not necessarily antithetical. He also debunked the assumption that traditional institutions were synonymous with fetishism and the worship of creations made by human beings and reasoning. He, however, noted that the two institutions can play complementary role that will contribute to the growth and development of the country. The Olu, who said he was elated by the Soun’s visit, said the new Ogbomoso monarch’s choice of Warri kingdom as his first place of visit was divinely directed, just as his choice for the throne was divinely ordained. He said that they owe i

Many Benefited as Tantita Save Niger Delta From Enviromental Ruins

Many Benefited as Tantita Save Niger Delta From Enviromental Ruins It is on record over the past twenty years in the Niger Delta region, South-South Nigeria where incessant fire disaster and untimely death was on the increase in weekly basis as result of the activities of illegal oil bunkering, especially the process of local refining popularly known as Kpo-Fire. The menace also renders our young married ladies widows in the ljaw riverine communities because most of their life partners venture into the Kpo-Fire business due to its lucrative nature in making quick money. To proof your doubt, take a tour to any of the ljaw riverine communities across Burutu, Warri South-West, Bomadi, Patani in Delta State, and Southern ljaw, Ekeremor, Nembe and Brass LGAs in Bayelsa State, you will discovered that most of our youths are facially disfigured in parts of their body as result of severe fire accident incurred during cooking and burning (refining) of crude oil to kerosene, fuel and desiel for

FocalPoint Reports

Search This Blog