The Cross River State Government has said that its renewed push to regain littoral status is founded on verified facts and not an attempt to encroach on the territory of neighbouring Akwa Ibom State.
The clarification was given in Calabar by the Special Adviser on Public Affairs to Governor Bassey Otu, Nsa Gill, who addressed journalists amid growing public debate on the matter. He explained that the statement became necessary following claims by some elders in Akwa Ibom who, according to him, had politicised the issue.
Gill stressed that the matter extends beyond previous Supreme Court rulings which some interpret as permanently barring Cross River from enjoying coastal benefits. He maintained that the state’s position is supported by scientific and technical findings.
According to him, Bakassi Local Government Area remains constitutionally part of Cross River State and still retains access to the Gulf of Guinea, despite the 2002 judgment of the International Court of Justice that ceded parts of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon.
He revealed that after examining the Bakassi Deep Seaport proposal, Governor Otu moved decisively to advance the project. One of the major steps taken was the approval of hydrographic, geophysical and geotechnical studies at the proposed site. The survey, conducted by the National Hydrographic Agency under the Nigerian Navy around Parrot and Tomshot Islands, generated detailed data on seabed conditions, soil composition and water depth required for the seaport development.
Gill noted that the survey results hold significance beyond the state. He said the findings were presented to the President and could reshape understanding of maritime boundaries in the Gulf of Guinea. Subsequently, funding for the Bakassi Deep Seaport was secured through Afrexim Bank, while Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms was designated to oversee its construction.
He added that the exercise also produced an updated nautical chart now recognised globally in the World Hydrographic Chart. This development, he said, enhances navigation, strengthens maritime security, supports continental shelf claims and opens up new revenue opportunities linked to the Cross River Estuary.
Following the presentation of the scientific findings, the President reportedly constituted an Inter-Agency Technical Committee to verify the data on ground. The committee comprised representatives from Akwa Ibom State led by its Surveyor General, officials from Cross River State, the Federal Surveyor-General and other federal agencies.
During the field verification, 239 oil and gas wellheads were identified and plotted using modern mapping technology. Gill pointed out that this figure exceeds the 76 oil wells allocated to Akwa Ibom in 2012 after a Supreme Court judgment, which Cross River believes was executed administratively without a comprehensive survey by the National Boundary Commission and the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
He maintained that Cross River’s demand is anchored on measurable evidence rather than political sentiment. According to him, Governor Otu remains committed to restoring the state’s littoral status and reclaiming revenues redirected to Akwa Ibom after the 2012 ruling.
Gill expressed confidence that the final resolution would promote mutual growth and peaceful coexistence between both states.
He concluded by stressing the strategic and national security value of the Cross River Estuary and its offshore boundaries. He argued that the 2002 ICJ decision did not cede the entire Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon and did not involve the transfer of any oil wells. He therefore questioned the basis for denying Cross River access to resources it believes legitimately belong to it.