Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio, a leading socio‑cultural organisation of the Ibibio people, has declared that all oil wells attributed to Akwa Ibom State are “settled, protected and non‑negotiable” in a new statement responding to renewed ownership claims by Cross River State. The group said it issued the clarification in light of “inflammatory statements” it alleges are emanating from the Cross River State Government and its agents, warning that such rhetoric risks stoking avoidable tension between the two neighbouring states.
Citing a string of past legal decisions, the organisation recalled that the Supreme Court of Nigeria on 24 June 2005 dismissed Cross River’s claim over the southern estuarine boundary and affirmed Akwa Ibom’s retention of 76 disputed oil wells. It noted that the court’s position was grounded in the 10 October 2002 judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Nigeria–Cameroon boundary dispute, which led to the cession of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon and, according to the group, altered Cross River’s status as a littoral state. The statement added that the Supreme Court reaffirmed Akwa Ibom’s ownership on 10 July 2012 in Suit No. SC.27/2010, stressing that these decisions form the legal basis for determining offshore and littoral entitlements between the states.
Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio urged that issues arising from boundary and resource questions be handled “in a brotherly and constitutional manner” through lawful channels rather than, in its words, being sacrificed “on the altar of narrower interests or transient political ambitions.” It emphasised that Akwa Ibom and Cross River are bound by history, culture, commerce and enduring kinship, and insisted that fraternity must not be undermined by public propaganda or political pressure.
The group commended Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, PhD, for what it described as a mature and statesmanlike approach to defending the state’s interests, praising his “courage and restraint” in managing the dispute. It also called on key federal institutions — including the Office of the Surveyor‑General of the Federation, the National Boundary Commission and the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission — to remain guided strictly by existing law and judgments of the Supreme Court in handling all related matters.
While pledging to remain peaceful and law‑abiding, Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio vowed to “firmly defend every resource lawfully accruing to Akwa Ibom State” under the current constitutional and judicial framework. The statement, signed on behalf of the organisation, concludes with a categorical restatement that the oil wells attributed to Akwa Ibom State are not open to renegotiation.
Statement:
