The coalition of Ijaw interest groups, an umbrella body representing the Ijaws, have called on the federal government to obey the court order and refrain from giving further licences on the marginal oil fields.
The group had earlier obtained a ruling by the Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, which granted an injunction restraining the federal government from taking further action on the award of marginal oil licences pending the conclusion of the suit before it.
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Philip Brown Agu, an Ijaw high chief and some other Ijaw indigenes on behalf of themselves and Ijaw ethnic nationality had in a suit no: FHC/YNG/CS/81/2020 dated November 11, 2020, prayed the Federal High Court to, among other things, restrain the minister of petroleum resources and the federal government from giving out and/or approving licences in respect of marginal fields listed pending the hearing and determination of the case.
Justice Isa Dashen, the presiding judge ruling on the matter had ordered the defendant to restrain “from giving out/approving licences in respect of marginal fields listed pending the hearing and determination of this suit.”
Efiye Bribena, the secretary of Ijaw Elders Forum (IEF) on behalf of the coalition groups, counselled the parties involved to abide by the ruling of the court.
“It is our expectation that all citizens and corporate organisations abide by this ruling,” Bribena said in a statement.
