Ijaw Leaders Seek to Bar FG from Approving Licences for Marginal Oil Fields
2 min read
by Our Correspondent
Ijaw leaders have
instituted a suit seeking for an order of injunction to prevent the Federal Government of Nigeria from giving out and approving licences for marginal oil fields in Ijawland pending the determination of the suit.
The suit filed at the Federal High Court, Yenagoa, has the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Minister for Petroleum Resources and Minister of State for Petroleum as defendants.
The plaintiffs of suit No FHC/YEN/CS/81/2020, Chief Brown Agu, Mrs Rosemary Aken John- Oduone, President, Ijaw Women Connect Worldwide, and Femowei Braye, stated that they instituted the suit on behalf of the Ijaw Ethnic Nationality.
The Ijaw leaders described their action as a bold step to confront the anomalies and the constitutional injustice that deprives the Niger Delta from controlling their resources like Zamfara State that is endowed with gold reserve.
The plaintiffs also seek for an order of injunction restraining the defendants from “issuing licences for marginal oil fields in Ijawland, unless and until a comprehensive baseline environmental evaluation, survey/assessment of all oil and gas fields awarded, renewed or divested since 1956 is done by independent international experts and published in accordance with international best practices”
The suit also seeks to restrain the defendants from further advertising or receiving bids for marginal oil fields in the area pending the hearing and determination of the suit.
They added, “The suit is therefore to warn all persons and corporate organisations not to apply for or obtain any licence for marginal fields as same is subject of litigation.
The absence of presiding judge, Justice Abimbola Awogboro stopped the hearing , which compelled Court officials to fix February 19, 2021 for hearing.
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) had on April 6, 2020 announced the revocation of 11 of the 13 marginal fields issued to local oil firms.
Oil Mining Lease (OML) 46 held by Bayelsa government located within onshore swamps in the state won in 2013 through a bidding process was among the licences revoked for being dormant for more than five years.
