The Cross River State Consultative Forum (CRSCF) has challenged the description of Cross River State as a landlocked state, attributed to the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, insisting that the state retains its geographical and maritime connection to the Atlantic Ocean.
The forum said Cross River should be regarded as a littoral state based on its extensive estuarine and coastal waterways, particularly the Cross River and Calabar River systems, which connect to the Atlantic through the Bight of Biafra.
The position was contained in a statement issued in response to remarks attributed to Akpabio during the 39th anniversary celebration of Akwa Ibom State.
According to the CRSCF, the description of Cross River as landlocked overlooks the state's geographical and hydrological characteristics. It explained that the Cross River flows into the Atlantic Ocean, while Calabar is situated within an estuarine system linked to the sea.
The forum further cited coastal areas in southern Cross River, including parts of the Bakassi area that remain under Nigerian administration, as evidence of the state's enduring physical connection to the Atlantic.
While acknowledging the impact of the 2002 judgment of the International Court of Justice in the Cameroon-Nigeria territorial dispute and the subsequent implementation of the Green Tree Agreement, the forum said the legal developments did not alter Cross River's physical geography.
It also referred to the 2012 Supreme Court judgment concerning the state's claim to derivation revenue following the loss of Bakassi, stressing that the decision should not be interpreted as meaning that Cross River had physically ceased to have maritime characteristics.
The CRSCF maintained that the Supreme Court ruling dealt primarily with the legal and financial consequences of the loss of Bakassi and its implications for derivation revenue, rather than a physical transformation of the state into a landlocked territory.
The forum also pointed to the presence of the Eastern Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy in Calabar, the Calabar International Navigational Channel and the city's longstanding history as a seaport as further indications of Cross River's maritime significance.
It stressed that a clear distinction should be made between physical geography and legal or administrative decisions concerning resource allocation and revenue entitlement.
“Political and judicial determinations about oil-revenue entitlement after the loss of Bakassi do not rewrite the physical fact that Cross River retains estuarine and coastal access to the Atlantic,” the forum stated.
The group argued that referring to Cross River as “landlocked” or “non-littoral” could have wider economic implications, particularly in ongoing discussions over maritime resources, petroleum interests and development opportunities.
According to the forum, Cross River has continued to pursue scientific, hydrographic, geological and maritime initiatives relating to its coastal status. It also cited recent surveys connected to the proposed Bakassi Deep Seaport, which it said produced updated navigational charts and identified coastal and near-shore features supporting its position.
The CRSCF called for the controversy to be addressed through scientific evidence, applicable laws and established technical processes rather than political narratives.
While acknowledging the historical and cultural ties between Cross River and Akwa Ibom, the forum said disagreements over maritime status and resource allocation should be settled on the basis of verifiable facts and the law.
It urged the President of the Senate to support efforts toward an amicable resolution of issues surrounding Cross River's maritime status and petroleum interests.
The statement was signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the CRSCF, Hon. Eyo Nsa Ekpo and Dr Julius Ochim Okputu, respectively.
.jpeg)
0 Comments: