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Legal luminary, Tsatsu Tsikata, has said Ghana has a stronger case going into substantive hearing in the maritime dispute with La Cote d’Ivoire.

Mr Tsikata said although Cote d'Ivoire's case appeared plausible, it was lacking in merit.

According to him, Ghana was the clear winner in Saturday’s preliminary ruling, which held that the country can continue oil production activities at a disputed maritime boundary area.

Speaking on Accra-based Joy FM Monday, Mr Tsikata said of the five relief Cote d’Ivoire sought from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITSLO), it barely managed to get one.

He said Ghana’s position was stronger going into the substantive case and that Cote d’Ivoire would struggle to convince ISLO on the reliefs it seeks.

Mr Tsikata said: “I don’t have any doubt at all from the provisional measures argument that Ghana’s position on the merit is even on stronger grounds.

“The reason being that: Ghana drew attention to the whole history of the practice of Cote d’Ivoire itself with regards to the maritime boundary.

“Since 1970, the first President of Cote d’Ivoire Houphouët-Boigny used the same maritime boundary that Ghana is using now in granting an award to Exon Mobil and they ( Cote d’Ivoire ) have since used exactly the same map in transacting business over the years, ” he said.

On Saturday, the ITSLO gave Ghana the nod to continue oil production activities at a disputed maritime boundary area between it and Cote d’Ivoire.

The ITLOS, in unanimously dismissing Cote d’Ivoire’s call for the suspension of activities on the disputed maritime boundary until the final determination of their disagreement over the boundary – held that work can go on uninterrupted.

The tribunal, however, ordered Ghana not to start new drilling activity on the disputed area until the matter is resolved.

In effect, exploration and exploitation works on the Tweneboah-Enyera-Ntoumme (TEN) project, being operated by Tullow Oil Plc and its partners, can proceed.