Ghana and the Ivory Coast’s Maritime dispute over offshore territories is currently being heard by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

Ivory Coast is laying claim to some of Ghana’s already explored offshore territories, with the Tribunal set to determine the merits or otherwise of their complaint. In advance of that, Cote d’Ivoire has filed an injunction calling for all drilling and exploration activities in the disputed territory to be halted.

Both sides laid arguments before the tribunal, and now the judgement is set to be given. The head of the tribunal would deliver the verdict on the injunction this Saturday, April 25.

After that, arguments would be heard for the trial proper. If the tribunal rules the preliminary case in favour of the Ivoirians, one of Ghana’s biggest oil fields would have to be shut down.

For us ordinary Ghanaians, this shouldn’t make any change one way or the other; but just for posterity’s sake- maybe we’ll get a government in future who’ll better utilise our oil resources.