Supreme Court adjourns hearing on Brittania-U , Chevron, Seplat to May 18

The supreme Court sitting in Abuja could not go on with the main appeal of the case involving Brittania-U and Chevron Nigeria Limited which was slated for Mon- day, March 23, 2015 because of intervening developments after the last adjourned date which was February 24, 2015. The appellant’s counsel r informed the court that they were compelled to file a motion for a mandatory restorative order to reverse over-reaching steps allegedly taken by Chevron and Seplat to get the Minister of Petroleum Resources to consent to the divestment of Chevron Nigeria Limited interest in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 53 and 55 , despite the appeal that was pending in court and the motion for interlocutory injunction pending that appeal in respect of acquisition of the three assets by Brittania-U .

When the case was called, counsel to all the parties were in court. Rickey Tarfa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN) and six other junior lawyers represented the appellant while D.D.Dodo (SAN) appeared for Seplat Petroleum which is the first respondent and Uche Nwokedi (SAN) ap- peared for Chevron Nigeria and US parent company, the second respondent and the fourth respondent. A.V. Etuwewe represented the third and fifth respondents. Dodo SAN informed the court that they had a motion to amend their client’s brief while A.V Etuwewe applied for extension of time to regularise his own client’s brief.

The two motions were granted unopposed but a cost of N50,000 was awarded against the third and fifth respondents in favour of the appellant. The appellant thereafter informed the court of their latest motion filed on March 19, 2015 asking the court to invoke its disciplinary jurisdiction to reverse certain actions taken by Seplat and Chevron to over- reach the subject matter of the appeal before the court.

The appellant’s four prayers read in part: A mandatory/ restorative order setting aside the 1st Respondent’s written request dated July 30, 2014 to the Minister of Petroleum Re- sources for its statutory consent validating transaction in the divestment of the OMLs 52, 53 and 55 by the 2nd Respondent to the 1st Respondent; A mandatory/restorative order setting aside the purported instrument of ministerial consent obtained by 2nd Respondent for divestment of its 40 percent participation interest in OMLs 52, 53, 55 pendentlite in favour of 1st Respondent in flagrant disregard of the admonition to counsel by this honourable court during proceedings on the February 24, 2015. A mandatory/restorative order setting aside the purported or alleged transfer of the assets comprised in OMLS 52, 53, 55 and all steps taken so far by the Respondents to overreach the outcome of this appeal. The court also ordered parties to file and exchange written addresses within 14 days intervals in respect of the motion and adjourned hearing to May 18, 2015.