The Supreme Court, on Monday, ordered the Federal Government to within 15 days, file its defence to the suit that Rivers state government filed to stop it from ceding 17 disputed oil wells to Imo State.
The apex court equally directed Imo state to within the same period of days, file and exchange necessary processes with the Plaintiff (Rivers State).
Before it adjourned the matter till January 17, 2022, a seven-man panel of justices of the court led by Justice Kekere Ekun, said it would hear the substantive matter, alongside all objections the Defendants have against it. FG had earlier urged the Supreme Court to dismiss the suit which it argued was bereft of merit.
This was contained in processes it filed through the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, FG, further prayed the apex court to vacate an order of injunction that stopped the process of ceding the oil wells located at Akri and Mbede, to Imo state.
Recalled that the apex court had in a chamber ruling it delivered on July 14, ordered FG and its agencies to halt actions pertaining to alleged plan to cede the oil wells to Imo state, pending the determination of the suit by Rivers state government.
The ruling followed an ex-parte application Rivers State argued through its lawyer, Mr. Emmanuel Ukala, SAN.
The Supreme Court specifically restrained the AGF and the Attorney General of Imo state from taking any further action on the ownership of the disputed 17 oil wells, pending resolution of legal issues surrounding its ownership.
It further barred the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and the Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, and the office of the Accountant General of the Federation from approving, implementing, or giving effect in any manner to a letter from RMAFC office, with reference number RMC/O&G/47/1/264, dated July 1, 2021, which cancelled the equal sharing of proceeds from the 17 oil wells by Rivers and Imo states.
