Cross River indigenes plan public protest against Akwa Ibom over 76 oil wells
A public protest over the ownership of the controversial 76 oil wells which the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Akwa Ibom State 13 years ago is being planned to hold this weekend in Calabar, Cross River.
A massive online and house to house mobilisation is ongoing in the state to draw attention to alleged injustice to the state occasioned by the apex court judgment.
An online mobilization spearheaded by one Leader Ben Usang is receiving massive responses from Cross River indigenes, assuring of their readiness to join the public march against Akwa Ibom State and the Supreme Court’s judgment against them.
Some of the notices mobilizing Cross River indigenes for the march, tagged The August March For Justice”, says the march is a non-partisan advocacy for restoration of the 76 oil wells to Cross River State. “Let’s make it loud. Mobilisation should be massive.”
Another says, “Cross River is set to bring notice of resource appropriation injustice to the world media. It’s the August March for justice.”
Thousands of other responses said ‘We’re in for the march’, ‘Enough of this injustice’, ‘We cant wait for it’.
But analyst, Antigha Hogan cautioned the public demonstration advocates, saying diplomacy was necessary in the matter.
He asked, “Have advocates of this protest sought the audience of the State Government or our competent representatives at the National Assembly knowing how close they are to the Presidency and how such moves will be perceived from Abuja. Though I don’t oppose the protest, but diplomacy at the highest level can fetch us better things…”
A playwright, Ani Akak frowned at Akwa Ibom saying rhetorically, “A sister who has over 1000 oil wells but chose to covet the only 76 oil wells of elder sister – what kind sister is that?”
Former aide to then-Vice President Prof Yemi Osibanjo, Mr Philip Obin disagreed with a lawyer and former presidential aide, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla who cautioned the state against wasting time and resources to return to the Supreme Court over the matter as the court would hardly reverse itself if there were no fresh, convincing and overriding new evidences.
Encouraging demonstration, Obin cited landmark cases, including the GTB vs Innoson motors which the apex court had to reverse itself.
On Monday morning the state government released a three-page analysis, signed by Dr Erasmus Ekpang, commissioner for Information, countering the earlier statement by the attorney general of Akwa Ibom on the matter. Akwa Inom had detailed why the 76 oil wells were rightly theirs.
But Cross River government has emphatically restated claims to 67 (and not 76) oil wells in their own statement, insinuating that her counterpart was wrong in her claims.
“Upon receipt of Cross River State’s Complaint, an inter-Agency Committee, Comprising of the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation, National Boundary Commission, Nigeria Upstream Regulatory Commission was constituted with Surveyors- General of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra , Cross River and other oil producing States as observers to determine the veracity of the Cross River State’s Claim.
“In May, 2024, the committee carried out its mandate by plotting the maritime boundary of Cross River State using the Nation’s Administrative Map 11th edition, as well as the 2004 well dichotomy Study Map and thereafter geolocated the oil wells found therein. At the end of the exercise, sixty-seven (67) oil wells were found to be within the Maritime Boundary of Cross River State.
” It is this uncomfortable truth, that our sister state (Akwa Ibom) seeks to suppress as it lays bare the injustice Cross River State has had to suffer since the decision of the Supreme Court delivered in 2012, which Akwa Ibom State Government now hides behind.
“The Presidency has waded into the matter as it should rightly do and has directed both states to consult widely, hold stakeholder’s engagements and report back. By the posturing of the Attorney General of Akwa Ibom State and the contents of his Press Release, it is abundantly clear that Akwa Ibom State has no interest in the process outlined by the Presidency..”
Cross River indigenes plan public protest against Akwa Ibom over 76 oil wells
