The Supreme Court, on Monday, slated May 6, 2022, to deliver judgment in a case brought before it by Rivers and the Imo States over the ownership of 17 oil wells in their territories.

Justice Olukayode Ariwoola who led the panel of justices of the apex court fixed the date after the adoption of final written addresses by lawyers in the matter.

Counsel to Rivers State, Joseph Daudu (SAN), while adopting his final addresses asked the apex court to give judgment in favour of Rivers State on the ground that historical evidence, right from 1927 till date clearly indicated that the oil wells belong to the state.

Daudu drew the attention of the Supreme Court to the boundary adjustment paper of 1976 where Ndoni and Egbema were confirmed to belong to Rivers State.

He disagreed with the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) in his claim that adjudication of the suit on the oil wells ought not to have originated from the Supreme Court but a Federal High Court because oral evidence ought to be taken from the people in the area.

Daudu said that the Supreme Court has original jurisdiction and can conveniently use all available sufficient historical documents right from the colonial era for it to determine the real owners of the oil wells.

In his own arguments, counsel to Imo State, Chief Olusola Oke (SAN), asked the apex court to dismiss the suit on the grounds that it ought to have originated from the Federal High Court.

Oke claimed that because of the nature of the matter, oral evidence ought to be called from the people of the area to confirm where they actually belong.

He contended that Rivers ought not to have started the suit from the Supreme Court and therefore prayed the court to dismiss the suit.

In the same vein, counsel to the AGF, Dr Remi Peter Olatubora (SAN), aligned himself with the position of Imo State, to the effect that proper procedure for such a suit was not adopted by Rivers State.

He insisted that witnesses, including officials of the National Boundary Commission (NBC), Surveyor-General of the Federation (SGF) and indigenes of the disputed areas ought to be heard for the court to make appreciable and acceptable findings.

Although Olatubora claimed that the AGF was neutral in the disputed oil wells ownership, he however said that scientific evidence must be considered along with an open court hearing for the Supreme Court to make good findings.

Justice Ariwoola thereafter announced May 6, for judgment in the matter.

Kazeem47:
Is that how you will fighting each other when you get Biafra?You better settle out of court.

fergie001:


SOURCE

He disagreed with the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) in his claim that adjudication of the suit on the oil wells ought not to have originated from the Supreme Court but a Federal High Court because oral evidence ought to be taken from the people in the area.

LadyExcellency:

Wike ran to Supreme Court instead of lower Court thinking he will use Justice Odili to buy off justice forgetting that Mrs Odili is not there with Rivers State quota rather that of Imo State.

Masterito:
So you mean supreme Court should go ahead and award the wells to a state without consulting people in the area. If the people must be consulted then it shouldn't start from the Supreme Court.

IGBOSON1:
All these arguments and court cases wouldn’t be necessary if there hadn’t been a deliberate attempt to shortchange Igbos’! Under what rationale were Obigbo, Ndoni and Egbema placed in Rivers state if not because of highhandedness, wickedness and an attempt to try and pauperise Ndigbo!

showafrica:
Allethnicity should be merged. Igbos should be igbo. Egbema, eche, ohaji, ikwere are all igbos. Nothing like river state and Imostate. This divide and rule is causing more harm than good. How can you seperate two brothers into different states

IGBOSON1:
All these arguments and court cases wouldn’t be necessary if there hadn’t been a deliberate attempt to shortchange Igbos’! Under what rationale were Obigbo, Ndoni and Egbema placed in Rivers state if not because of highhandedness, wickedness and an attempt to try and pauperise Ndigbo!

showafrica:
All ethnicity should be merged. Igbos should be igbo. Egbema, eche, ohaji, ikwere are all igbos. Nothing like river state and Imostate. This divide and rule is causing more harm than good. How can you seperate two brothers into different states

athaboi:
They are just destroying igbo heritage and her people just bcoz of Nigeria state! Igbos are the most bruised in Nigeria existence.... Egbeme is now differently created out of ohaji just bcoz of boundary

Dmacqh:
My
The Igbo nation will withstand this Balkanization someday . Igbo don’t have king . Proud_Igbo boy .

Chapter 1 part 2 section 8-2

An Act of the National Assembly for the purpose of boundary adjustment of any existing State shall only be passed if- 

(a) a request for the boundary adjustment, supported by two-thirds majority of members (representing the area demanding and the area affected by the boundary adjustment) in each of the following, namely- 

(i) the Senate and the House of Representatives, 

(ii) the House of Assembly in respect of the area, and 

(iii) the local government councils in respect of the area. is received by the National Assembly; and 

(b) a proposal for the boundary adjustment is approved by - 

(i) a simple majority of members of each House of the National Assembly, and 

(ii) a simple majority of members of the House of Assembly in respect of the area concerned

athaboi:
They are just destroying igbo heritage and her people just bcoz of Nigeria state! Igbos are the most bruised in Nigeria existence.... Egbeme is not differently created out of ohaji just bcoz of boundary

LadyExcellency:
How is Egbema, who is a brother to Ohaji now from Rivers State since 1927?

Rivers State of 1967? Land grabbers. Ijaw is teaching Wike how to grab lands.

Wike ran to Supreme Court instead of lower Court thinking he will use Justice Odili to buy off justice forgetting that Mrs Odili is not there with Rivers State quota rather that of Imo State.