Ruth NWORIE
The Cross River State Government has intensified efforts to reclaim 76 oil wells previously allocated to Akwa Ibom State, insisting that federal verification exercises confirmed the state’s status as an oil-producing state.
The government restated its position in a statement issued on Thursday by the Commissioner for Information, Dr. Erasmus Ekpang, who recalled that Cross River had, on July 28, 2025, issued a press statement titled “Re: 76 Oil Wells, Restatement of Facts,” outlining circumstances surrounding the disputed allocation.
According to the statement, the state had in 2025 petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as well as relevant federal agencies including the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), the National Boundary Commission (NBC), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation (OSGOF).
In the petition, the government said, was supported with comprehensive scientific, geological and legal evidence indicating the existence of about 245 oil wells within Cross River State’s maritime territory and justifying its oil-producing status.
Following the petition, the Federal Government constituted an Inter-Agency Technical Committee, which conducted verification, mapping and field assessment exercises in November 2025.
The state government said the exercise confirmed additional oil wells belonging to Cross River beyond the initially disputed 67 or 76 wells.
Dr. Ekpang disclosed that the committee later opened a public hearing for the presentation of its findings after sharing relevant coordinates with both Cross River and Akwa Ibom states, adding that the outcome of the exercise clearly established Cross River as an oil-producing state.
The government expressed concern over what it described as longstanding injustice following the ceding of parts of the Bakassi Peninsula to the Republic of Cameroon, noting that Cross River had borne the consequences of the handover over the years.
“It was baffling that while only a portion of Bakassi was ceded to Cameroon, oil wells located in the same area were attributed to Akwa Ibom State, which was not a party to the original dispute,” the statement said.
The Commissioner further stated that the Inter-Agency Committee carried out extensive field visits, boundary demarcations and mapping between Cross River estuaries and Cameroon, leading to new discoveries in previously undemarcated areas.
He urged that the committee be allowed to conclude its assignment and formally present its report, warning against actions capable of undermining the process.
The state government also expressed confidence in the committee, saying it trusted the process would correct past injustices and lead to the recovery of all oil wells legitimately belonging to Cross River State under the administration of Governor Bassey Otu.
