ADC Leader Tackles Gov Eno Over Dispute With Cross River

As the lingering crisis over the controversial resurrection of the oil wells case by the neihbouring Cross River State rages, the former minister of state for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the state, Senator John Udoedehe, has cautioned Governor Umo Eno against capitulating to the back-door gimmicks of Governor Bassey Otu to trade away the state’s heritage.

The former interim national secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), recalled that successive governors – Obong Victor Attah (1999-2007) and Senator Godswill Akpabio (2007-2015), had fought to preserve the vital oil assets for the state, reminding him that he would not be in the good books of history if the already won case is compromised.

Udoedehe, who took to social media to pass the message to the governor, regretted going public to sound the alarm, blamed the governor for rebuffing all his attempts to have a private audience with him by rejecting phone calls and other messages.

For instance, he recalled that at the death of the governor’s wife, he had tried to condole him, but calls to him were rejected, the reason he took to the wider social media space.

“You will not be forgiven if you allow oil wells to be taken away from us in Akwa Ibom. If you allow it to happen, you will be seen as a weak and unprepared governor,” he maintained, recalling that despite not being in good terms with the Senate President Godswill Akpabio, he still cherished his resolute stance on Akwa Ibom ownership of the oil wells.

Responding at a forum marking the second anniversary of his late wife’s pet project – Golden Initiative for All (GIFA), held at the Ibom Hall, Uyo, at the weekend, the governor reassured that the state’s ownership of the 76 oil wells “is absolutely incontestable and sacrosanct” based on two valid judgments of Nigeria’s Supreme Court to that effect.

He said, “Let me take this moment once again to reassure our people concerning the much- talked about oil wells. Let me say this loud and clear: there is no cause for alarm concerning our God-given resources.

“We have two Supreme Court judgments affirming our state’s ownership of the 76 oil wells. No committee and no government parastatal can overturn Supreme Court judgment. Akwa Ibom State does not have a maritime boundary with Cross River State but with Cameroun.

“Any attempt to shift that boundary will be tampering with the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ’s) judgment, and Nigeria as a law-abiding country will never go there.”

He noted that Cross River has degenerated to the level of using an already settled issue as a second term campaign stunt, to hoodwink the Cross River electorates, but warned that such such ploy was already an exercise in futility.

“I understand that people will campaign using this as a political tool. We forgive them. Let them continue to hype and deceive their people in ignorance, but we know the truth. We will not cede one inch, one inch of oil well belonging to Akwa Ibom state.

“We are in the same ruling party, we know who they know, and wherever they go, we will go,” he stressed, and expressed trust in the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, as a strong lover and believer in the rule of law, declaring that “Akwa Ibom State will not cede any inch or one oil well belonging to the State to anyone.”

“Our society is guided and shaped by the rule of law. The Supreme Court has given his ruling twice on the oil well issue in our favour, and those rulings are sacrosanct. And, those oil wells belong to Akwa Ibom State.

The governor went on to reaffirm the support of the government and people of the State for President Tinubu,  stating that, “we are rooting, supporting and campaigning for him, and our state is working effectively to ensure he is returned for second term come 2027, alongside our illustrious son, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.”