Ghana's decision to take maritime dispute to ITLOS commendable -Lawyer

A lecturer and an expert on oil and gas, Emmanuel Ntiful, has lauded the decision by Ghana to take the maritime dispute with neighbouring Cote d'Ivoire to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).

Mr Ntiful, who lectures Alternative Dispute Resolution at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) said the move by Ghana, led by Attorney General Marrieta Brew Appiah-Oppong, is timely since Ghana's French-speaking neighbour is acting in bad faith.

Speaking Monday on Adom FM’s current affairs show 'Burning Issues', Mr Ntiful revealed that the Ivoirian government had already begun awarding contracts to some oil firms in the disputed West Cape Three Points area.

He said the Ivoirians had in the past drilled wells near the disputed boundary but did not find any oil, indicating that La Cote d'Ivoire was acting on greed because its efforts at oil exploration have been unsuccessful unlike Ghana.

After years of bilateral talks, both countries were unable to agree on a maritime boundary, forcing Ghana to initiate the arbitration proceedings under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Some have argued that Ghana should not have chosen the route of arbitration since most of the boundary disputes could be settled through bilateral negotiations.

However, Mr Ntiful maintains the case between the two countries was very crucial and could impact on the Ghana's future prospects if not handled properly.

The ITLOS in Hamburg, Germany last Saturday rejected Côte d’Ivoire’s request that Ghana be ordered to suspend all oil exploration and exploitation in the disputed zone including the TEN Project.

ITLOS has also ordered a number of provisional measures which both Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire are required to comply with - including continued cooperation until ITLOS gives its decision on the maritime boundary dispute which is expected in late 2017.

Mr Ntiful also warned that going forward, government should act cautiously especially that oil has been found in parts of the Volta Region where it is possible for the Togolese government to also lay claim to Ghana's boundary.