76 Oil Wells: A’Ibom Indigenes Storm Venue Of RMAFC’s IATC Meeting Of IATC On Disputed Oil Wells

… As AKSG Restates Ownership Of Oil Wells
By Helen Udofa
ABUJA
Indigenes of Akwa Ibom in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have stormed the venue of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) meeting of the Inter-Agency Technical Committee (IATC) on Disputed/New Oil Wells, protesting against any attempt to reallocate the State’s 76 oil wells to Cross River.
  Displaying placards with inscriptions as ‘76 Oil Wells Rightly Belong to Akwa Ibom,’ ‘Let’s Abide by the Supreme Court Judgement of 2012 on the Matter of 76 Oil Wells,’ ‘We Are A Peace-Loving State,’ ‘We Stand by the Supreme Court Judgement of 2012’ ‘Nigeria Is A Lawful Country’, the peaceful protesters argued that the matter had long been conclusively settled in favour of Akwa Ibom State by the Supreme Court in 2012, warning that any attempt to reallocate the oil wells would be a violation of the 2012 ruling.
  The peaceful demonstration took place in Abuja, where the Inter-Agency Technical Committee (IATC) on Disputed and Newly Drilled Oil Wells is conducting a nationwide mapping exercise to verify the coordinates of oil and gas assets.
  To one of the protesters, “Reopening the matter would disregard the authority of the apex court and could undermine peace in the Niger Delta”.
  The protest became necessary as Cross River is actively pursuing the reclamation of the 76 oil wells from Akwa Ibom, arguing that a Supreme Court ruling in 2012 was based on incorrect geographical data due to the loss of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon.
  Meanwhile, Akwa Ibom government has reaffirmed ownership of the 76 oil wells, as contained in a 19-point press release issued, four days ago, as signed by the State Attorney General and commissioner for Justice, Uko Udom, SAN.
  ‘In the light of renewed petitions, misinformation, and incitement directed at the peace-loving people and government of Akwa Ibom State by the government of Cross River State, particularly regarding the ownership of the 76 oil wells validly belonging to Akwa Ibom State, as repeatedly affirmed by all relevant arms of government, it has become necessary to restate the facts and reset the records for the benefit of the general public, especially those unfamiliar with the matter.
  ‘We reiterate that Akwa Ibom State remains open to a political solution, provided such does not deny our people their lawful and judicially-affirmed rights. However, political solution cannot be limited to76 oil wells. It must also address the Akwa Ibom communities added to Cross River State. These were the two issues considered by the Supreme Court in determining the land and maritime boundaries between Cross River State and Akwa Ibom State,’ the release stated.
  The release recalled, ‘It should also be noted that when while Akwa Ibom lost 86 oil wells to Rivers State in Suit No: SC.27/2010 (Rivers State v. Akwa Ibom State) decided on 18th March 2011, we accepted the Supreme Court’s verdict in good faith and have remained committed to due process and peaceful coexistence.
  At last week’s meeting of the Inter-Agency Technical Committee (IATC) on Disputed and Newly Drilled Oil Wells, Akwa Ibom was represented by a high-powered delegation, including Senior Advocates of Nigeria Paul Usoro, Assam Assam, Uko Udom, Uwemedimo Nwoko, Emmanuel Enoidem, and former state Attorney-General, Barr Ekpenyong Ntekim.
  Also in the delegation were the commissioner for information, Dr. Aniekan Umanah and the commissioner for finance, Emem Bob; immediate past surveyor general of Akwa Ibom, Mrs. Emem Isang,  as well as the member representing Ikot Ekpene Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Dr Patrick Umoh, among others.
  The high-powered delegationpresented the state’s position at the meeting, reiterating that the Supreme Court judgment remains final and binding, urging all federal agencies to uphold the ruling.
Chairman of RMAFC, Mohammed Bello Shehu, had said the exercise was designed to ensure states receive the correct 13 per cent derivation revenue from oil and gas produced within their territories.
The federal mapping exercise, coordinated by RMAFC and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) aimed to provide accurate verification of disputed and newly drilled wells across Nigeria.
The verification exercise is expected to influence future derivation payments and could either ease or further inflame tensions between Akwa Ibom and Cross River, depending on its alignment with existing legal rulings.
Akwa Ibom government has insisted that the state will vigorously defend its oil assets, maintaining that any infringement could have significant economic and political repercussions for the Niger Delta region.