Cross River govt demands justice over 67 oil wells

…accuses Akwa Ibom of misrepresentation

The Cross River State Government (CRSG) has issued a strong rebuttal to claims made by the Akwa Ibom State Government regarding the ownership of 76 oil wells, insisting that 67 of them rightfully fall within its maritime boundary.  

In a press statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Erasmus Ekpang, the CRSG dismissed Akwa Ibom’s recent press release as containing “misrepresentations and outright falsehood.” 

The statement clarified that while the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ceded the southern part of Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon in 2002, Western Bakassi remains part of Cross River State and Nigeria.  

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The dispute stems from a 2008 decision by the National Boundary Commission (NBC) and Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), which awarded the oil wells to Akwa Ibom State using a “Technical Option” rather than the “Historic Title Option” previously applied in boundary demarcations. 

Cross River State alleged it was excluded from the Kano retreat where this decision was made, despite having no prior boundary dispute with Akwa Ibom.  

Governor Bassey Otu raised fresh concerns in March 2024 after discovering that several oil wells in OML 114 and 123 oil fields were within Cross River’s maritime boundary but generating no revenue for the state.

An inter-agency committee, including the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation and the Nigeria Upstream Regulatory Commission, later confirmed that 67 oil wells belonged to Cross River.  

The Presidency has since intervened, directing both states to engage stakeholders and resolve the issue.

However, Cross River accused Akwa Ibom of disregarding this process, vowing to pursue justice.  

“Truth crushed to the ground shall rise again,” the statement declared, affirming Cross River’s commitment to correcting what it termed a “grave injustice.”  

The CRSG emphasised that this would be its only public response on the matter.  

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE