The Cross River State Businessmen's Forum has strongly disputed the claim by Senate President Godswill Akpabio that Cross River State is landlocked. In a statement released on Friday, the Forum, comprising businessmen and traders in the state and diaspora, described Akpabio's assertion as "geographically inaccurate and economically dangerous". The group emphasized that Cross River State is, in fact, a littoral state with direct access to the Atlantic Ocean.
According to the Forum, Akpabio's position could have significant implications for the state's efforts to establish its claim to offshore oil resources and associated derivation revenue. The group argued that the Senate President's comments could prejudice ongoing technical assessments by federal institutions, including the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The Cross River State Businessmen's Forum cited several indicators of the state's longstanding strategic maritime importance, including the presence of the Eastern Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy in Calabar. The group also pointed to the Cross River estuary and the proposed Bakassi Deep Seaport, which recent hydrographic and geophysical studies have shown could strengthen the state's argument for recognition of its maritime status.
The Forum further claimed that technical mapping associated with the Bakassi Deep Seaport project has identified oil wellheads within what it describes as Cross River's territorial coastal boundaries. This development, the group argued, necessitates a fresh, evidence-based assessment of the state's littoral claim. The Forum challenged the interpretation of the 2012 Supreme Court judgment, which rejected Cross River's claim to derivation from 76 offshore oil wells following the transfer of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon.
The businessmen argued that the judgment dealt with an administrative and legal dispute over oil wells and should not be interpreted as having physically removed Cross River's connection to the sea. They urged Akpabio to "steer clear of regional politics" in the interest of fairness and allow relevant federal agencies to determine the matter based on scientific, geographical, and legal evidence.
The Cross River State Businessmen's Forum called on the media, investors, and other stakeholders to examine the available scientific and official records rather than relying solely on political statements. The group emphasized that the question of Cross River's littoral status should be settled through certified federal records, geographical data, hydrographic surveys, and applicable law.
The controversy is the latest development in Cross River's longstanding dispute over its maritime status and offshore oil wells, following the International Court of Justice judgment on the Nigeria-Cameroon boundary and the subsequent handover of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon. Cross River has continued to pursue renewed recognition of its maritime status and claims relating to offshore oil resources.
Key points
- The Cross River State Businessmen's Forum disputes Senate President Godswill Akpabio's claim that the state is landlocked.
- The group argues that Cross River State is a littoral state with direct access to the Atlantic Ocean, citing geographical and economic implications.
- The Forum urges federal authorities to undertake a fresh, evidence-based assessment of the state's littoral claim, based on scientific, geographical, and legal evidence.
