Lagos — For sometime now, things have virtually not been at ease with Cross River State. Financially speaking, it could be said to have fallen from grace to grass. The state has lost its place in the elite club of oil producing states, a cluster of states, which by virtue of their endowment with the black gold on which the nation's economy depends, share 13 per cent of its monthly earning? It did when the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) ceded 76 oil wells, formerly under its control to neighbouring Akwa Ibom State.

In this interview with Correspondent, BASSEY INYANG, ETUBOM ANTHONY ANI, former Minister of Finance and Foreign Affairs and one of the state elders speaks of the implication, saying it was not only grave for the people of the state, but the relationship with their brothers on the other side.

Excerpts:

Cross River State took a major economic plunge recently, when it lost membership of the prestigious and exclusive club of oil-producing states. How did you feel when you got the news and how do you feel now?

The whole thing is very painful. Bakassi was part and parcel of Cross River State. When Bakassi was with us, we were a coastal state. But surreptitiously when it was ceded to Cameroon, we were said to be a non-littoral state. And it appears that we are neither here or there.

But does the state really have any claim now to this status given what you have just said?

I think there are some problems. The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation, and Fiscal Commission, (RMAFC) and the National Boundary Commission, (NBC) have come to involve themselves in the politics of Cross River and Akwa Ibom States. They must be very careful. Because in the case of Rivers State and Akwa Ibom, the NBC adopted the historical parameter. But coming to Cross River State they are using what is called the technical option in the demarcation of the border, specifically, the median, which means they have taken the 76 oil wells to Akwa Ibom State.

They should be very careful here because of its security implication. They should know that we are sharing boundary with Equatorial Guinea, and Sao Tome and Principe. If we don't take care, what we are doing now will be used against us in the future. Remember that was what counted for Cameroon in the case of Bakassi. And if we go on the issue of the demarcation of our nation boundaries using such bogus methods, and accept that now, it could be used against us. We should be very careful.

Secondly, Cross River State is a heterogeneous State. Akwa Ibom is homogenous. All the ethnic groups are here in Cross River State, especially Akwa Ibomites. Indeed a greater number of the population is Akwa Ibomites. If you go to places like Akpabuyo, Calabar South, Calabar Municipality, Odukpani, Akamkpa, Biase up to Yakurr Local Government Areas, Akwa Ibomites form about 45 per cent of the population.

The population of Akwa Ibomites in the entire sate is about 800,000. You don't have up to about 200,000 Cross Riverians in Akwa Ibom State. We have a situation where Akwa Ibom is receiving N16 billion every month, and we are receiving only N1 billion a month. If you check the enrollment of pupils and students in Schools and Colleges in Cross River State, Akwa Ibomites constitutes 60 per cent. So we are using our meagre resources to booster the people from Akwa Ibom State.

If the situation persists, Cross River State may find it difficult to pay salaries, meet financial obligations and sustain its developmental programmes. In the process the security of the state may be compromised especially when people are unable to bear it any longer. The Federal Government must look into this matter very critically, especially the security aspect, to ensure that justice is done.

But is there no way a plausible agreement that would satisfy both parties could be reached?

Akwa Ibom never had any onshore - offshore oil wells. The interesting thing is that the Supreme Court deprived Akwa Ibom of all the oil wells it had. It was the political solution which was backed by Cross River State that enabled Akwa Ibom to have any oil wells at all. We said the 200 wells, which were offshore, should be credited to state. Whether you call it political settlement or not, the 90 oil wells that were taken from Cross River State should be returned to it. We expect our governor to impress that on the Presidency.

You talked about the role played by the RMAFC and NBC in the entire saga. How come you are holding them responsible?

You know the Chairman of the RMAFC thinks he is a tin god. I think he has been compromised to do the damage he has done. I understand he had earlier sent his Deputy, Gidado Idris to Cross River and Akwa Ibom States to ascertain the true situation as regards the oil wells. Idris went back with the report that those oil wells rightly belonged to Cross River State. The Chairman of the RMAFC, Hamman Tukur has sat on that report and it has not seen the light of day till today. He is depriving Cross River of its rights. I think history will never forgive him. We have also been privileged to hold strategic positions in this country, and we have never made ourselves tin gods, or above the law.

What does this development portend for the relationship between Cross River and Akwa Ibom State?

Cross River and Akwa Ibom states are like Adam and Eve. Akwa Ibom was created out of Cross River State. We are the husbands, they are our wives. There is that mutuality between the two states. Nobody should come and put a wedge between us because of oil wells. Akwa Ibom State today receives the highest amount of revenue from the Federation Account. They receive about N17 billion a month. They should allow us stay with our N2 billion a month to carry out our developmental activities.

What is the role of the Cross River State Elders' Forum in the resolution of the issue?

We, the elders of Cross River State will meet with the elders of Akwa Ibom State and talk these things out. Between us, we should find a political solution to the issue. As it is now, Governor Godswill Akpabio has been wrongly advised.

Some people are of the view that Cross River State should respond in a militant manner to this thorny issue. What do you advice?

That is not the solution. Militancy is not the solution. Taking to the streets is not the solution. I believe dialogue is the answer. After all, when Akwa Ibom was denied of any oil well by the Supreme Court decision, they got some of our oil wells through dialogue. I don't believe in protest. Demonstration will not serve our cause. As a matter of fact, talking in Cross River State is not the solution. The solution is for our governor going to Abuja and other places to drum up this thing. The governor has been doing this. But ultimately, the solution lies with the President and the Vice President. With the way Cross River State has articulated its position, I have no doubt that the Presidency will discount with the deliberate injustice the Chairman of the RMAFC and NBC have meted to Cross River State.

It is a pity that the two commissions took this step. I expected that they would do something better. Having been deprived of Bakassi, we are now been told that we are not a coastal state. But from time immemorial, we have been a coastal state. The Chairman of RMAFC should not make people believe that he has been compromised in the discharge of his duties. We lost our territory to Cameroon, and we are now been told that we are not coastal. It is a great injustice but there is no need for us to demonstrate. Lets dialogue, and we will get there.

Are you as an elder satisfied with Governor Imoke's handling of this issue?

I believe that the governor himself has taken this matter appropriately. The elders of Cross River State are satisfied. The Governor has briefed us and we have given him the go-ahead. And we have made suggestions as well. The elders put their position in the media. But we will make out time and talk. We know ourselves. None of them fought for the creation of Akwa Ibom State. We fought for the State. They didn't even want the State. Idongesit Nkanga, Don Etiebet, Godswill Akpabio were not there. Chief Omon and I gave them the "Ibom" name and chose colours for them. Even their colour, we chose it for them. They got the state on a platter of gold, and now they are telling us that we are not an oil-producing state. We will know how to talk at the appropriate time. We know them very well.

Could this matter degenerate further?

I hope they will not push us to the wall. They are receiving well over N17 billion while we get only a paltry N1 billion. Out of this, we are taking care of over 800,000 Akwa Ibomites in Cross River. We may not be able to use our N1 billion to look after them. That is where the security aspect of it comes in. They should avoid it.

How do you see the so-called Supreme Court opinion that is at the root of this development?

The Supreme Court did not pass a judgement. They used the word "If". As at the time there was no demarcation of boundaries. It was something they said. There was no judgement. As I said earlier, we could go back to the Supreme Court to have the proper judgement. The boundaries they have done now are to deprive us our coastal status. It's like we are stateless, we are not in Nigeria and we are not in Cameroon. So where are we? They should not take us for granted.

Is it fair that different indices should be applied in demarcating boundary issues between States with a similar geography?

There is no consistency at all. That is why I warned earlier that what they are doing now could be used against us in the future. They used historical aspect for Akwa Ibom and Rivers State, and the technical aspect, what is called the median for Cross River and Akwa Ibom states? If we apply the median rule between Equatorial Guinea and Sao Tome and Principe in case of a boundary despite between Nigeria and these countries, a precedent would have been set that it should apply. So this inconsistency, if not reversed, could affect the Nigerian nation in future. And there is really no reason for this inconsistency; applying a different rule here and a different rule there. This is why they say, the chairman of the RMAFC was compromised. It is wrong definitely. I'm sure it would be resolved in our favour.

Assuming you were governor, how would you have responded to the challenge?

I will not pray to be in Imoke's shoes now. Having been Minister of Finance in this nation for four years, I know what I'm talking about. When there are no funds for you to pay the salaries of your staff, when there are no funds for you to embark on developmental projects, and other obligations, then you are heading towards a failed state. And we can not at this stage, have a failed state. The governor is paying a lot of debts he inherited from Donald Duke's administration. By the time we pay the debts, pay salaries, and other things, nothing is left. For the governor it could be very trying.

The security aspect of what is happening now should be emphasised because it would have a serious effect on the psyche of Cross River State, and its citizens.

Is it possible for the Government to borrow to handle its obligations?

The Government cannot borrow. No bank will lend you money when you owe them. That's why we have to pursue this matter vigorously. Who will buy your bond in Cross River State when you cannot pay your debts? That is why I said I will not be in the shoes of Imoke because I know his problem. Out of the 36 states in revenue allocation, we are number 36. Akwa Ibom is first. And yet we are catering for 800,000 people from Akwa Ibom. We are carrying a lot of the responsibility of Akwa Ibom State in this State. And that is because we are the parent state. Akwa Ibom State is not as big as Akamkpa Local Government Area. And yet they are coming to trample on our rights.

Akwa Ibom cannot stand alone. They depend on Cross River for so many things. There must be that mutuality between the states concerned. You must be your brother's keeper. They shouldn't think that they are masters. They are not masters of anything. If we want to stop them, we can go back to court and ask the court for the implementation of the decision and take all the oil wells from them. They would go back to square one.

Do you think injustices like this could jeopardise the much touted integration of the South-South economies?

It is capable of generating friction if not handled in a matured manner. In the absence of trust, and presence of mutual suspicion, nothing much can be done. The other day, I was at the airport en-route Abuja, when Governor Godswill Akpabio flew in from Lagos. Instead of proceeding to Uyo, by road, he took a shuttle, I understood because of security advice. The fact is that the wellbeing of Cross River State is the wellbeing of Akwa Ibom State. The whole of Cross River State is full of Akwa Ibomites. So if Cross River State suffers, they also suffer. At the South-South level, regional economic integration will not work if there is no equity and justice.

As an emerging tourism destination, couldn't that sustain the State as it is obtainable in other countries?

Yes, tourism can sustain a state but we have not yet got the tourism infrastructure right. Tinapa, unfortunately, is a white elephant. And it cannot work. I have mentioned this earlier. It is a shopping mall. It has no tourism value. But if we want to actually develop our tourism potentials, lets look into the rainforests, and harness its potentials. Look at other areas we can develop and do so. And then consolidate the peace and security in the state thoroughly. Nobody will go to a place where he will be kidnapped. The Americans cannot allow their citizens to go to a place where a big aircraft cannot land and carry their people if there is trouble.

About N52 billion was spent on Tinapa, which is a colossal waste. If we had spent that on the infrastructure of tourism, we would have gone very far. I told Duke he was building nonsense. In Lagos, Tinapa is a shopping mall. He should have used that money to open up the state. Open up the ecosystem, open up the wild life in the rainforests. That would have brought more money.

Is there any way the state can harness the potentials of Agriculture at a time like this?

Yes. Certainly we have to diversify. We can produce more rice than any other state. Go to places like Etung, Ikom, Ogoja, Biase, Akamkpa, we have arable land. You have to develop the rural element of agriculture. The governor is aware of this and is already doing that through his rural development programme. This will empower the rural farmers and make them to produce more for the markets. There is no doubt whatever that we can feed Nigeria if we get it right.

Is the issue of compensation for the loss of Bakassi a viable option?

When the Bakassi issue came up, I was one of the few persons who presented a position paper on it. Not only the issue of compensation but the strategic nature of the area. Bakassi has 100 per cent of the world's oil deposit. In a few years, Cameroon will be richer than Nigeria. So we have lost a lot, and yet there is no compensation. We lost land, houses, ancestral sites, graves, etc. It is very unfortunate and indeed sad. I feel particularly pained because I caused Bakassi local Government area to be created. If Abacha, were alive, we would never have given up Bakassi, come rain, come sunshine.