BY RALPH EJIMKONYE
Imo State has lost temporarily, its quest to have some oil wells ceded to it, after the Supreme Court, Wednesday, granted an order of injunction stopping the Federal Government and it’s agencies from ceding 17 disputed oil wells, at Akri and Mbede, to Imo State.
The order was granted by the apex court pending the determination of a suit brought before it by the Rivers State government.
In a Chamber ruling by the Supreme Court in an ex parte application argued by Emmanuel Ukala SAN, the apex court further restrained the Attorney General of the Federation and the Attorney General of Imo State, from taking any further action on the ownership of the disputed 17 oil wells until the ownership disputes surrounding them are settled.
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMFAC, and the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, were barred by the Supreme Court from approving, implementing, or giving effect in any manner to a letter from RMAFC office, with reference number RMC/O&G/47/1/264/of July 1, 2021, which canceled the equal sharing of proceeds from the 17 oil wells by Rivers and Imo States.
September 21, 2021, was fixed as date for hearing of the substantive matter by the apex court.
Imo and Rivers States, have been locked in a fierce control of the 17 oil wells lately.
Rivers State, through it’s Attorney General had dragged the AGF and the Attorney General of Imo State before the Supreme Court, seeking declaration that the boundary between Rivers and Imo, as delineated on Nigeria administrative map, 10, 11 and 12 editions and other maps bearing delineations are inaccurate, incorrect and do not represent the legitimate and lawful boundaries between Rivers and Imo State.
