Ijaw leaders ask court to revoke marginal oil field licenses
[From CHRIS ONYEAMA, Yenagoa]
Ijaw leaders have asked a Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa, in Bayelsa State, to revoke the June 29 marginal oil field licenses, saying they were issued in breach of a restraining order of the court.
Counsel to the plaintiffs, Mr Enie Otrofanowei had told the court that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources flouted an April 5 injunctive order by granting the licenses that they were restrained from granting by the court.
He said the plaintiffs were seeking to invalidate or set aside the licenses and requested a short adjournment to enable them argue their application since the defendants were absent in court.
It will be recalled that presiding judge, Justice Isa Dashen had on April 5 restrained the Federal Government from issuing licenses for marginal oilfields in the Niger Delta pending determination of a pending suit by Ijaw leaders.
Some Ijaw leaders had in 2020 approached the court seeking to halt licensing of marginal oilfields located in their domains, but following setbacks and delays suffered by the suit, the bid winners were announced on June 1, 2021.
According to experts, marginal oilfields are shallow assets with less than 10 million barrels reserves that require further development before production.
Presiding Judge, Justice Isa Dashen however adjourned until Oct 5 for continuation of hearing and ordered that hearing notices be issued to all defendants who were absent in court.
Plaintiff in the suit marked No. PHC/YEN/CS/81/2020 are Chief Brown Agu (Opu Agu VIII), Mrs Rosemary John-Oduone, President Ijaw Women Connect and Mr Femowei Friday on behalf of themselves and the Ijaw Ethnic Nationality.
On the other hand, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Minister of Petroleum Resources and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources are defendants in the suit.
Our correspondent learnt that Dashen inherited the case from Justice Abimbola Awogboro following her transfer to the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court.
