The nation's highest court of the land on Friday in Abuja, in a landmark judgment, resolved the ownership dispute of 17 oil-rich wells in favour of Rivers State.
In the judgment prepared by Justice Heleen Ogunwumiju but delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the apex court dismissed the counterclaim ownership put forward by the Imo State Government.
However, Governor Nyesom Wike has commended the judgement and also extended an olive branch to the Imo State government that his administration was open for talks without prejudice to the Supreme Court judgement.
In a state broadcast on Friday in Port Harcourt, he berated former Governor Emeka Ihedioha of Imo State for jettisoning the political arrangement earlier put in place to share revenues from the disputed oil wells.
He also faulted Governor Hope Uzodimma for his outbursts against the institutions that he is a greater beneficiary
“Indeed, it was rather unfortunate that someone who became Governor through the instrumentality of the judiciary could turn around to castigate the very institution that made him ruler over the good, peaceful, and progressive people of Imo State.
Now that the Supreme Court has spoken, we hope Governor Hope Uzodimma will accept the outcome in good faith, refrain from his usual diatribes against the judiciary and explore possible pathways to accommodation and compromise from the Rivers State Government,“ Wike said.
According to Wike, before the matter got to the Supreme Court, there had been a political arrangement put in place by the administrations of former Governor Peter Odili of Rivers and former Governor Achike Udenwa of Imo for revenues from the disputed wells to be shared equally between the two states.
However, former Governor Ihedioha, he went further to obtain a presidential memo when became governor in 2019, directing that all the revenues should be ceded to his state. Displeased by the move, the Rivers State government approached the court to file a suit against the presidential directive.
The Governor also deplored the partisan behaviour and overbearing attitude of the staff of the National Boundaries Commission (NBC), which according to Wike, “unfortunately, has become notorious as one of the most corrupt national agencies, which has functioned more in causing confusion than resolving boundary disputes,“.
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Read the full text of a state broadcast by Governor Wike below:
My dear people of Rivers State Today, 6th May 2022, the Supreme Court of Nigeria has delivered its judgment on the subsisting boundary dispute between Imo State and Rivers State over the ownership of some oil wells at the Akiri and Mbede Oil fields. Let us recall that following the disputed claims to the location and ownership of some oil wells at the Akiri and Mbede oilfields between Imo and Rivers States in 1999, the Governors, Their Excellencies, Achike Udenwa and Dr. Peter Odili respectively, worked out a political settlement and mutually settled for a 50:50 percent beneficial sharing of the derivation proceeds accruing from these wells pending the proper demarcation of the boundaries between the two States by the National Boundary Commission (NBC). While the dispute lingered, nothing was done by the NBC to demarcate the boundaries of the two States and establish the proper location and title to the disputed oil wells. However, instead of instigating the NBC to do the right thing, Governor Emeka Ihedioha of Imo State, shortly after assuming office, repudiated the subsisting 50:50 percent sharing formula and made provocative claims to the exclusive ownership of the entire Akiri and Mbede oil wells. In order to actualise these spurious claims, he stealthily wrote a letter dated 9th August 2019 to President Muhammadu Buhari and requested the refund of the sum of N15, 000,000.00 (fifteen billion naira) from Rivers State to Imo State as a backlog of accrued proceeds from the 13% derivation revenue of the said oil wells. Acting on Governor Ihedioha’s letter, Mr. President warranted a letter to be written to the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMFAC) through his late Chief of State, Mr. Abba Kyari, to alter the status quo against in favour of Imo State without reference to the subsisting dispute and agreement between the two States. Surprised by the surreptitious plots and collusive actions of the Government of Imo State and the NBC to overreach the legal interest of Rivers State in the disputed oil wells, the Rivers State Government opted to approach the Court for a just and lasting resolution. Accordingly, we first applied to the Federal High Court, Abuja and among other reliefs, successfully challenged the powers and authority of Mr. President to give directives to the RMFAC and or interfere in any manner whatsoever with the distribution of public revenues from the distributable pool account, including the Federation Account. Not satisfied with the positive ruling of the Federal High Court, the Imo State Government appealed to the Court of Appeal and lost. We then proceeded against the Government of Imo State at the Supreme Court in a fresh suit for a final and conclusive determination of the boundary dispute between our two States. In approaching the Supreme Court in this matter, we believed that the dispute between the two States and the contentious issues are such that the Court can judicially, justly, and expeditiously determine with the available facts and supporting evidence, including valid administrative maps, subsisting judgments, and other relevant documents. And so, the Supreme Court has finally and conclusively resolved the dispute and granted full and exclusive ownership of all the disputed oil wells in Akiri and Mbede oilfields, to Rivers State much to everyone’s relief. Although Governor Hope Uzodimma was not the mastermind of the impulsive trajectory that compelled us to seek the intervention and protection of the Courts, he nevertheless participated fully in the litigation process to the end without engaging the Rivers State Government for a possible a political solution. However, his reactions to the judgments of the lower courts on this matter were clearly uncalled for. Indeed, it was rather unfortunate that someone who became Governor through the instrumentality of the judiciary could turn around to castigate the very institution that made him ruler over the good, peaceful, and progressive people of Imo State. Now that the Supreme Court has spoken, we hope Governor Hope Uzodimma will accept the outcome in good faith, refrain from his usual diatribes against the judiciary and explore possible pathways to accommodation and compromise from the Rivers State Government. This, we may readily oblige, despite the betrayals and back-stabbing by Emeka Ihedioha, who in spite of the extensive support and goodwill he received from the Government and people of Rivers State to become Governor, led the onslaught and created a wedge between two brotherly States that have been living at peace and in friendship with each other. We also deplore the collusive actions of the NBC, which, unfortunately, has become notorious as one of the most corrupt national agencies, which has functioned more in causing confusion than resolving boundary disputes. It bears repeating that the quest to defend our ownership rights through the courts over the Akiri and Mbede oil wells was not intended to claim victory over Imo or any other State. We are therefore open to further discussions with the Government of Imo State on the best way forward without prejudice to the outcome of today’s judgment. We appreciate the lawyers that prosecuted and secured this landmark success for Rivers State, and for their efforts, it is my pleasure to announce the conferment of State Honours on every one of them as the Distinguished Service Star of Rivers State (DSSRS). Finally, I wish to reiterate our resolve to continue to fight for, advance and protect the best interest of Rivers State at all times and under any circumstances up to the end of our government, and we hope our successor would likewise continue in this courageous spirit and determination to make the desired positive difference for our State and our people. Thank you and may God bless you all
