Ghana Maritime Boundary Dispute Resolution: Two “Decline” Prez National Honour

Lawyer Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong and Lawyer Fui Tsikata have rejected an award by President Akufo-Addo in recognition of their efforts toward Ghana’s victory in the maritime boundary dispute with La Cote d’Ivoire.

The dispute erupted in 2010 over the ownership of known natural resources in the Atlantic Ocean, according to African Journals Online.

The case was heard by the Special Chamber of the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in Hamburg in Germany.

In September 2017, the court ruled in favour of Ghana.

According to the Ghanaian Embassy in Berlin, the Chamber in a unanimous decision ruled that there had not been any violation on the part of Ghana on Côte d’Ivoire’s maritime boundary and further rejected Côte d’Ivoire’s argument that Ghana’s coastal lines were unstable.

It also noted that Ghana has not violated Côte d’Ivoire’s sovereign rights with its oil exploration in the disputed basin.

The case was inherited by several Ghanaian administrations and legal representatives until its resolution six years ago.

Almost six years later, President Akufo-Addo- during whose tenure the case came to a close- decided to honour the lawyers who played exceptional roles in Ghana’s victory including Lawyer Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong and Lawyer Fui Tsikata- who represented Ghana during the era of John Dramani Mahama.

President Akufo-Addo said the efforts and contributions of these individuals couldn’t be overlooked, discounted or understated.

He stated, “Our victory in maritime boundary dispute could not have been achieved through the actions of one person, one political party or one government”.

But according to Charles Nii Teiko Tagoe, a presidential staffer, the Lawyer Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong- a former Attorney General and Minister for Justice- and Lawyer Fui Tsikata rejected the award.

In a Facebook post, he explained that they wrote to decline the award.

“Lawyer Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong and Lawyer Fui Tsikata wrote to decline the National Honours awards as Members of Ghana’s legal team at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. Sad!”, he posted on March 14 after the event.

The rest of the legal practitioners received their honours.

Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini