Ahead of the impending ruling on the disputed ownership of the 76 oil wells between Cross River and Akwa Ibom States by the Supreme Court, some returnees from the disputed Bakassi area have risen in support of Akwa Ibom State.
?The returnees under the aegis of Esit Eket Patriotic Bakassi Alliance, arising from a meeting yesterday in Uquo, Esit Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, said it was unfortunate that some people in the neighbouring Cross River State had taken to making unnecessary sentimental and prejudicial statements on a matter that the Cross River State government took to the apex court.
?They told newsmen that the incessant unguarded utterances by certain political leaders in Cross River State were unwarranted since the facts of the ownership of the oil wells clearly situate the wells within Akwa Ibom State territory.
?According to the Chairman of the group, Mr. Aniefiok Akpadiaha, “This is because Bakassi Peninsular was in Akwa Ibom State and administered by the government of Akwa Ibom State until 1996 when the Federal Government handed it over to Cross River State.”
?He maintained that since Bakassi was not a territory in Cross River State, and the indigenes were not from Cross River State, it was only natural that the people of Cross River State could not defend the ownership of the territory adequately with facts and records before the International Court of Justice at The Hague, which accounts for the loss of the oil rich Peninsular to the Republic of Cameroun by the ruling of the world court.
?Mr Akpadiaha said that having lost Bakassi and the oil wealth of the territory, it was unfortunate that the people of Cross River State are again coming back to Akwa Ibom State to demand for 76 oil wells.