N82B Oil Spillage Judgement: Ibeno Community Lauds President, Nigerian Judiciary

The Ibeno Community in Akwa Ibom State has lauded the Nigerian judiciary for upholding the sanctity of justice in their litigation against Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), for which a judgement sum of N81.9 billion was awarded to them as cumulative damages over oil spillage.

A Federal High Court in Abuja, presided by Justice Taiwo Taiwo, in a judgement debt on Monday, June 21, 2021,ordered Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to pay the judgement debt to Ibeno community within 14 days and failure of which eight per cent interest would be accruable on the principal sum annually.

Reacting to the Federal High Court’s judgement, the oil rich community says their victory in the litigation, instituted since 2012 has justified their pursuits for justice and fairness, stating that by that landmark judgement, the judiciary in Nigeria has re-enacted public trust as being the last hope of the common man as well as for those who pursue their rights legally.

Read Also: Ibeno Stakeholders Applaud Federal, Akwa Ibom Gov’ts For Siting Ibom Deep Seaport In Ibeno

The Ibeno Community therefore urged Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to honour the court judgement by paying them the sum of N81.9 billion within the 14 days as ordered by the court.

Speaking at an emergency town hall meeting with stakeholders of Ibeno Community in his palace on Saturday, the paramount ruler of Ibeno Local Government Area, HRM Owong (Dr.) Effiong Bassey Archianga, said over the years, “multinational oil exploration and production companies have been in conflicts with host communities over oil spillages and with consequences of environmental degradation, negative socio-economic impacts, health hazards coupled with pollution of our ecosystem which affects our occupation as fishermen and farmers.”

The traditional ruler, who is Immediate Past National President, Traditional Rulers of Oil Mineral Producing Communities of Nigeria (TROMPCON) said his people are very grateful to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Federal Minister of Justice & Attorney General and members of the Jury in the Nigerian Judiciary, for standing by Ibeno people for the past nine years during their legal battle with the multinational oil companies (Mobil), operating in our communities over oil exploitation, oppression and denial of our rights.

In a press release personally signed by him, the royal father observed, “It is against this background that the entire people of Ibeno Land at home and in diaspora wish to thank you severally and individually especially the lead Judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja, Justice Taiwo Taiwo for the landmark judgment of Monday, 21st June, 2021, for Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPNU) and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to pay the sum of N81.9 billion as cumulative damages to the oil communities in Ibeno within 14days and that failure to pay within the stipulated time would attract an accruable interest of 8 per cent on the principal sum annually.”

Read Also: Pollution: Bayelsa Oil Commission Blames Multinational Oil Companies

According to him, “We are indeed grateful to all persons whom the Almighty God used as instrument to perfect this judgment in favour of Ibeno people after nine years of stressful and legal contest with MPNU and NNPC. Indeed, this is historic record for the Judiciary. I hope the edition of Nigerian Weekly Law Reports would chronicle this in their next edition.

“We lack adequate words to express the depth of our gratitude to you but we pray the good Lord to bless and reward each and every one bountifully and to grant the jurists the grace and more wisdom to continue to protect the defendless citizens in this great country against injustice and oppression.

“We equally appreciate Ibeno Legal team for their steadfastness and for the job well done and we call for concerted efforts to enforce the judgment.

“We are also grateful to His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State, the good people of the State and Niger Delta Region for their prayers and solidarity,” the royal father added.

Read Also: Who Owns The Oil Wells Of The Niger Delta?

At the stakeholders meeting, the community observed a minute silence for five dead members of the 10-Member plaintiffs, who represented themselves and on behalf of the people and members of Ibeno Clan in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State in the case: Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/54/2012 filed through their lawyer, Lucius Nwosu, SAN with a claim of N100billion.

The plaintiffs are HRH Obong (Dr.) Effiong B. Archianga, JP; Obong Daniel A. Udomfiok; Obong Daniel Peter Ekpo (Late); Obong Bassey I. Akpanika, JP, (Late); Chief Owon Sunday Akpanowong (Late); Williams Henry Mkpah; Obongonwan Besie O. Nyakpa (Late); Chief Edmond N. Okon; Chief Isuamdono l. Okon (Late) and Chief Okutinyang H. Inyang.

It could be recalled that Justice Taiwo of the Federal High Court in delivering judgement recently in a joint suit instituted against the two defendants by the aggrieved oil producing communities, held that the American oil company, Mobil and NNPC, were negligent in the way they handled oil spills that caused environmental degradation in the communities.

Read Also: Governor Wike Decries Negative Impact Of Oil Exploration

The judge particularly took a swipe at the NNPC for being interested in the revenue generations from the oil exploration at the expense of the lives of the people in the communities.

Accordingly, Justice Taiwo held that the oral and documentary evidence adduced by the plaintiffs to support their claims that lives were made miserable for them when their water and land were polluted through crude oil leakages from old oil pipelines.