Ijaw leaders in the Niger-Delta on Tuesday vowed to resist any attempt by any force to breach the court order concerning the Marginal Oilfields Licensing rounds.
The group in their letter to President Mohammadu Buhari, urged the President to prevail on the Minister of Petroleum Resources to respect a subsisting order of the Federal High Court, Yenagoa on the ongoing Marginal Oilfields Licensing rounds.
Recall that a Court in Yenagoa had restrained the Federal Government from issuing licences on Marginal Oilfields in the Niger Delta pending the determination of a pending suit.
Justice, Isa Dashen, had granted the restraining order in favour of the Ijaw leaders.
Ijaw leaders who filed the suit are Chief Brown Agu (Opu Agu VIII), Mrs Rosemary John-Oduone, President Ijaw Women Connect and Mr Femowei Friend on behalf of themselves and the Ijaw ethnic nationality.
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.
The Ijaw leaders asked the court to restrain the Federal Government from further advertising and receiving bids in respect of the marginal fields.
They also asked the court to restrain the Federal Government from approving licences in respect of the marginal fields.
Justice Dashen inherited the case from Justice Abimbola Awogboro following the latter’s transfer to the Lagos Division of the Court.
Following the restraining order, the Ijaw leaders in their letter to the Minister of Petroleum Resources through the Minister of State for Petroleum by their lawyer, Mr Enie Otrofaniwei said the letter was to draw the Federal government’s attention to the subsisting order.
According to the letter by the Ijaw leaders, as an interested parties with legal representation in the suit, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources was expected to show examples in promoting the rule of law and abide by the court order.
The group stated they have vowed to take legal steps to oppose violation of the court order.
The Network gathered that Marginal Fields are shallow fields with less than 10 million barrels reserve, which may not produce crude oil in commercial quantities immediately and would require further development to boost volume.
It was learned that some Ijaw leaders had approached the court in 2020, seeking to halt licensing on Marginal Oilfields, said to be located in their domains.
It was gathered that the Federal Government announced bid winners on the fields on June 1, 2021, due to setbacks and delays in the suit.
The Network also gathered that the Federal Government has scheduled to hand over the Marginal Fields Licences to the winners within the week.
