By: Vitalis Ugoh, Calabar
HIGH Chief , Dr , Henry Onwe , the Chairman of Cross River State Businessmen’s Forum, has lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for taking purposeful initiatives to restore Cross River 76 oil wells.
High Chief Onwe who stated this in Calabar said “the forthright and strategic effort of the President is a right step in the right direction and has brought renewed hope to the people of the state who for a long time have felt deprived of their rights and source of economic wellbeing”.
“The effort the President is taking has endeared him more to millions of Cross Riverians giving them hope that the President is committed to their welfare”
He highlighted that the president’s thoughtful and magnanimous decision to set up an inter agency committee to look into the oil wells issue has brought the true picture of oil wells injustice to the fore and he believes the situation would be redressed soon..Giving an overview of the background to the oil wells imbroglio, Onwe said.
On July 10, 2012, the Supreme Court in its ruling on the case brought before it by Cross River State seeking clarification on the status of the oil wells assigned resolution of the matter to the appropriate federal government authorities: National Boundary Commission ( NBC), the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation, (OSGF) , Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, (RMAFC), to decide on the status of the oil wells jurisdiction.
“It is instructive to note that the Supreme Court only struck out the appeal brought before it by Cross River State and did not hand over the oil wells to Akwa Ibom State . Interestingly, since the Supreme Court’s ruling, no scientific, geological, hydrographic, or geodetic survey was carried out by these agencies which the matter was referred to until the inauguration of the inter agency committee by the President following Cross River State’s six -hundred – page petition to him and to the best of my knowledge, the committee has done a thorough job”. .
He emphasised that the Inter Agency Committee is the first to undertake a tour of all the oil producing states and carried out a comprehensive maritime and geological location exercise which led to the discovery of Reservoir coordinates of additional 188 wellheads and 41 shared Reservoir extending from the Cross River Elongated Continental Shelf toward its boundary with Cameroon.
He said in addition to the Inter Agency Committee findings, the National Boundary Commission ,NBC, has independently reaffirmed the coastal status of Cross River State and its seaward littoral access to the Atlantic Ocean through the Cross River Estuary, as reflected in its official maps and publications.
Onwe stressed that with the recent submission of the Inter-Agency Committee’s final report to the Chairman of the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Mr. M. B. Shehu who will in turn brief the President on the true state on the oil wells issue, Cross River is fully hopeful that the coast is clear for its tears to be wiped out by restoring its natural endowment.
“The restoration of our oil wells by our dear President is a paramount demonstration of natural justice , equity and fairness. This landmark action is expected to significantly impact future derivation payments and, potentially, the long-standing maritime boundary dispute brought to an end”
He concluded that “,As our governor, the Sweet Prince, His Excellency Senator , Apostle, Bassey Edet Otu has succinctly stated ,’the ceding of part of Bakassi was for peace of the country. It was not for Cross River State to lose its oil wells. We are full-fledged Nigerians. Nobody can deny us our right. And that time has come,”
Onwe said the statemanly mindset of the governor is quite laudable and shows the governor as a leader who is after peace, brotherly co-existence and development and not one who grandstands and beats the drums of war.
He stressed that Cross River is not seeking for the oil wells of other states be given to it but that its due should accrue to it and appealed to the President to heed to the People’s cry.
Chairman of the Cross River Businessmen’s Forum who is a great grassroots political mobilizer also commended what he calls the noble strides of Governor Otu in assiduously working towards the growth and the development of the state remarking that in less than three years, “His Excellency Senator , Prince Bassey Edet Otu has spread the season of sweetness across every part of the state through good roads, infrastructural development, educational improvements and restoring peace among communities”
He declared that these good works which have manifested everywhere have positioned the governor to be adopted by all political parties for a return mandate so that more benefits can be brought forth to the state.
“His zeal and commitment to the development of the state is unrivalled. He is unassuming but strategic in achieving results. The efforts towards the restoration of our oil wells is a clear manifestation of his capacity and leverage in actualising his mission and programmes and those are the sterling attributes of a great leader”
He said as a mark of honour, all political parties in Cross River should come under one platform and adopt the governor to give him more verve to achieve more.
“He is simply the best. That is why we have asked that His Excellency , Sweet Prince be made the Cross River State consensus candidate: no political party other than APC should present a candidate for governorship position in the state. This should be done as mark of honour to our Sweet Prince for the recovery of our oil wells and other developmental strides””
