Chuks Okocha
5 July 2009
Abuja — Former Governor of Cross River State, Mr. Clement Ebri, has advised the Federal Government against driving a wedge between Cross River and Akwa Ibom States on the contentious ceding of oil wells.
Ebri said in a statement issued in Abuja that "the precipitated action of delisting Cross River State from the league of oil producing states and awarding the 76 oil wells which hitherto belonged to her to Akwa Ibom State smacks of political and economic insensitivity."
He noted that such an action was capable of jeopardising peaceful co-existence between the two sister states, maintaining that from all available evidence to him, he believes the action was taken in bad faith which posed great security threat in the South-South region.
"It is certainly difficult to explain the rationale for attempting to stoke the fire of discontent among a people who are yet to fully recover from the deep sense of loss in terms of ceding Bakassi territory to Cameroon by the Federal Government," the statement said.
The former Cross River State governor wondered if the current action of the FG was a "deliberate ploy to aggravate the very serious civil strife which has engulfed the region resulting from perceived political and economic injustice."
He urged President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua to intervene as a matter of urgency and enact a process of promoting a political solution to the conflict.
Ebri, who is currently the national chairman of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), advised that the 76 oil wells should be returned to Cross River State , while appealing to Akwa Ibom State to "demonstrate without strain the spirit of brotherhood."
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