This is to inform the general public, interested parties and oil & gas stakeholders that on Thursday the 16th day of June 2016, in the Ecowas Community Court of Justice, Suit No: ECW/CCJ/APP/20/15, holden at Abuja, on the commencement of hearings after pleadings have been concluded by learned counsels on both sides of the Plaintiffs and Defendant since the suit was instituted just over a year ago. This landmark case is between the Plaintiffs, Mr. Nosa Ehanire-Osaghae, Mr. Jonah Gbemre, Mr. Aiko Obobaifo and Mr. Daniel Ikponmwosa, suing on behalf of the Niger Delta People and the Defendant, the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Our expectation is for the Defendant to take plea for the court to hear witnesses on both the Plaintiffs and Defendants sides. That we are set to go on with the matter until the determination of the case.
That the Ecowas Court is a noteworthy International Court for the common man of West Africa, and that at the end of this landmark case, the Honorable Court will grant the orders we sought in prayers. Namely:
1. That the Federal Republic of Nigeria has violated the fundamental human rights of Niger Deltans by depriving them of their God given oil blocks vis-à-vis natural resources which they allocated to foreign oil companies and non-indigenes from other parts of the country at their own expense and impoverishment.
2. That the Federal Republic of Nigeria has violated the fundamental human rights of Niger Deltans to life and a healthy environment by the hazardous flaring of gas in their host communities unabated for the last 30 years, which has resulted in many health casualties, fatalities and untimely deaths without adequate reliefs and compensations.
3. That the Federal Republic of Nigeria should put a stop to all acquiring, renewal, award, allocation, transfer, prospecting, buying and selling of oil blocks and their assets until the hearing and determination of substantive matter.
4. That the Federal Republic of Nigeria should re-allocate the ownership of all onshore and offshore oil blocs in the Niger Delta region back to the indigenous oil communities forthwith in accordance with its United Nations and African Union treaty obligations and statutory international law.
5. That the Federal Republic of Nigeria should immediately pay remedial environmental damages to the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) in order for them to speedily facilitate the total remediation of the oil polluted farming lands and fishing waters in Niger Delta region to the tune of $30 billion. For the excess of 9 million barrels of spilt crude oil in the Niger Delta region and for the hazardous gas flaring over the last fifty years of oil exploration and exploitation in the Niger Delta.
6. That the Federal Republic of Nigeria, should not impede and mitigate but rather assist and facilitate an enabling environment for the people of Niger Delta to conduct a peaceful and democratic Referendum to exercise their inalienable Right to Self Determination as enshrined in the United Nations and African Union treaties which it ratified and is signatory bound in accordance with the statutes of international law.
ANY OTHER ORDER OR FURTHER ORDERS that this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this case.
SIGNED:
BARRISTER SOPHIA OKOEDION.
H.S Okoedion Chambers,
90 Akpakpava Road, Benin City.
08039514131, 08091987480, 08057816764.