Seventeen years after the ceding of Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon and a subsequent Supreme Court judgment reallocating 76 oil wells to Akwa Ibom State, a member of the House of Representatives, Hon Peter Akpanke, has described the actions as deeply unjust and detrimental to the people of Cross River State.
Akpanke, who represents Obanliku/Obudu/Bekwarra Federal Constituency, stated this in Abuja on Tuesday during an engagement with the Cross River Journalists Forum, CROSSJOF, Federal Capital Territory chapter.
He lamented the dual blows dealt to the state, arguing that the decisions have left it economically weakened and politically shortchanged.
The lawmaker criticized both the International Court of Justice, ICJ, ruling that handed Bakassi to Cameroon and the Nigerian Supreme Court’s judgment that transferred the state’s oil wells to Akwa Ibom.
“We’re a small state already grappling with limited resources, yet we’ve been stripped of our oil wells and the Bakassi Peninsula. How are we expected to survive? Nigeria must revisit these decisions,” he said.
Akpanke threw his weight behind efforts by Governor Bassey Otu and the National Assembly to seek legal redress, noting that laws are not cast in stone and can be revisited.
“I support Governor Otu’s approach and what the National Assembly is doing. The legal system has provisions for exceptions and redress. The Supreme Court has reversed itself before; it can do so again if presented with strong constitutional grounds,” he said.
He called on the ICJ to reconsider its stance on Bakassi, stressing that the matter not only affects Cross River but also has implications for national unity.
“We are peace-loving and patriotic Nigerians. It’s unfair to treat us this way simply because we’re from a minority group or a smaller state,” Akpanke added.
The lawmaker also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to appoint a new substantive minister from Cross River State, following the suspension of Dr. Betta Edu, former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
He acknowledged that the state initially benefitted from having two federal ministers and urged the President to ensure continued representation in the Federal Executive Council.
“When this administration began, we were fortunate to have two ministers — one in sports and one in humanitarian affairs. While circumstances have changed, we respectfully urge Mr. President to consider appointing a replacement from Cross River. It’s within his constitutional discretion, but this is a collective plea from the state,” he stated.
Akpanke’s remarks come amid growing calls from political and civil society groups in Cross River for renewed federal attention to the state’s developmental and political challenges, especially in light of its diminishing federal presence and economic loss from past legal rulings.
