Governor Bassey Otu has declared that Cross River State will no longer sit on the sidelines while decisions that shape its economic destiny are made.
Speaking with fire in his voice at the Margaret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar, Otu insisted that the state deserves equity and fair play in the ongoing move to relist it as an oil-producing state.
Addressing a sea of supporters, the governor said Cross River has paid its dues in the pursuit of national unity, adding that justice must not be sacrificed on the altar of politics. According to him, the state has swallowed bitter pills for the sake of peace and cohesion, and it is only right that fairness prevails.
The renewed agitation follows the report of the Federal Government’s Inter-Agency Committee on Nigeria’s oil-producing states, which projected Cross River for re-listing as an oil-producing state — a development that has stirred the hornet’s nest between Cross River and neighbouring Akwa Ibom State.
At the heart of the dispute are 76 oil wells earlier ceded to Akwa Ibom through judgments of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. The possibility of their return has triggered sharp exchanges between both states.
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Akwa Ibom, Uko Udom, maintained in a chat with journalists that the oil wells “legally belonged to Akwa Ibom,” drawing a firm line in the sand.
Unmoved, Otu stressed that Cross River would pursue lawful and constitutional avenues to reclaim its rightful place among oil-producing states.
“Cross River has made sacrifices for Nigeria’s unity and peace, it deserves fairness, justice and full recognition as an oil producing state.
“We are full-fledged Nigerians, our rights cannot be denied, the time has come for us to take what belongs to us,” he declared.
In the same breath, the governor expressed gratitude to the people of Cross River for standing shoulder to shoulder with his administration, describing their unwavering support as the wind beneath his government’s wings.
“Your solidarity is the strength behind our performance.
“Let me reaffirm the commitment of my administration to putting the people first at all times, our state shall continue to move forward,” he said.
