Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom state has called on the people of the state to remain calm in the face of the ongoing contest between the state and Cross Rivers state over 76 oil wells.
According to the governor, there’s no cause for alarm as the Supreme Court, Nigeria’s apex court has already affirmed Akwa Ibom as the legal owners of the disputed oil wells.
In 2012, the Supreme Court awarded the oil wells to Akwa Ibom, but Cross Rivers want the oil wells returned saying the judgment was unfair to the state.
Governor Eno made the assertion, on Sunday while fielding questions from journalists on his arrival at the state, saying he had confidence in the apex court judgment and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ability to defend the law.
Cross Rivers state has been agitating for the Supreme Court judgment, which it described as unjust to be reversed, arguing that over 60 of the oil wells are under the state’s territory.
But Governor Eno said the apex court judgment has put to rest the dispute, wondering why Cross Rivers have refused to allow the matter to rest, by cooking “up story”.
Two Supreme Court judgments, the governor said, have affirmed the state ownership of the oil wells, that cannot be invalidated.
Eno: “There are two Supreme Court judgments that give Akwa Ibom State the right to those oil wells.
“We are not sharing maritime boundaries with Cross River State but with the Republic of Cameroun, and the Nigerian Supreme Court has said so twice to establish this fact.
“The people on the other side may cook up any story they want; raise propaganda, but this propaganda has no effect in the face of the two Supreme Court decisions establishing our ownership of the oil wells. This is not about sentiments.”
He stressed that President Tinubu will obey the law over the issue, that sentiment should be set aside from facts which established his state ownership of the oil wells l.
“I believe in the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; I believe that the rule of law will be respected; I believe that we cannot throw away Supreme Court decisions twice on this particular matter.
“If we were to talk about sentiments, then Cross River State should equally contest the allocation of many Ibibio-speaking villages of Itu LGA in Akwa Ibom State to Cross River State.
“Why are they coming up now to whip up sentiments when irrefutable facts on the oil wells have already been established?” Eno said, urging his people to “remain calm”.
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