Niger Delta

Oil Wells: C’River Explains Rejection Of N250m Grant

Published

14 years ago

August 8, 2012

The Cross River Government, has given reasons for rejecting the N250 million which the Akwa Ibom Government offered as monthly grant for settlement for the loss of 76 oil wells.

The government said on Friday in Calabar that it was a degrading offer which portrayed the leadership of Cross River as opportunistic and irresponsible.

The government’s position the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Mr Attah Ochinke at a press conference.

It would be recalled that the Supreme Court had in recent judgement ceded 76 oil wells which Cross River laid claims to Akwa Ibom.

In the aftermath of the judgment, Gov. Godswwill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom had offered to pay Cross River N250 million as grant to cushion the pains of the loss.

In his reaction, Ochinke said it was not correct to say that Cross River rejected overtures for amicable settlement with Akwa Ibom.

“Akwa Ibom government said we rejected an amicable settlement. That is not correct; we rather went to court to enforce the settlement that had already been reached.

“The matter had been settled and agreement written and it was implemented for three years, so what has happened for the parties to now withdraw from that agreement?

“The government of Akwa Ibom said they offered us when the matter was in court, N250 million a month as a peaceful settlement on the matter.

“I do not know when the matter will be settled but I am very certain of one thing, if we do not recover the territory it is not because it does not belong to us, but because we are unable to recover the territory.

“If we were just chancing, if we were just being opportunistic and say look let us try our luck may be we might get something out of it, we will probably accept anything that comes out of it including the offer from the government of Akwa Ibom.

“But you do not give up your legal right, give up your territory and make yourself an object of charity of another government.

“Akwa Ibom was virtually telling us: let us keep your oil wells, we will find you something. That is not what a responsible government will accept. That is why Akwa Ibom said that we rejected an amicably settlement.

“We already have settled the matter amicably, so if you want amicably settlement all you just needed to do is to respect the settlement that was already in place,’’ he said.

Ochinkesaid that the claims by Akwa Ibom that Cross River owed it more than N18 billion from the 76 oil wells was also baseless.

“Let me say this, at no time was Cross River receiving money from Akwa Ibom. At no time during this crisis was Akwa Ibom giving Cross River any money. Akwa Ibom has no money to collect from us.

“If they are so sure, let them be able to say this: how and where they gave Cross River money. And on the one hand they say they offered Cross River N250 million a month and we rejected it.

“And now they are turning round to say we owed them N18 billion; so at what time did they give us the money?

“Akwa Ibom is today an oil producing state because of the political solution, ordinarily Akwa Ibom is not an oil producing state, and they do not have a single oil well onshore.

“We also know that the Supreme Court in 2002 held that the offshore territory that is the territorial sea of Nigeria does not belong to the state,’’ Ochinke said.

He said that the territory of a state stops at the coast line of the state, adding that the sea belongs to the Federal Government as an incident of sovereignty.

Niger Delta

Stakeholders In Delta Seek Stronger GBV Action, Women’s Leadership

Published

3 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

Stakeholders in Delta State convened in Asaba for a leadership workshop organised by Otdel Health Heritage and Environmental Initiative (OHHEI), focusing on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and women’s participation in decision-making processes.

OHHEI Project Director, Mr. Peter Olayinka, represented by a consultant, Juliet Obiajulu, urged participants to contribute meaningfully toward advancing women’s leadership and combating GBV across communities in the state.

He said the workshop aimed to strengthen participants’ capacity to influence policies, challenge harmful cultural norms, and reinforce initiatives designed to prevent and respond to GBV.

Olayinka said women often faced bias even when they occupied leadership positions, and stressed that gender diversity improved the quality of decision-making and promoted innovation and accountability in governance structures.

Speaking, the Chairperson of the Association Against Child Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Mr Eris Jewo-Ibi, identified cultural norms, domestic responsibilities, political resistance, and grassroots barriers as constraints to women’s participation.

Delta State GBV Desk Officer, Mrs. Rosemary Okpuno, emphasised that effective decision-making required women’s perspectives, adding that inclusion remained critical to addressing persistent gender-based challenges.

Voke Angbagh of the Delta State Ministry of Justice outlined penalties for rape and called for the establishment of special courts to handle sexual offences cases.

Angbagh said frequent adjournments delayed justice for survivors, stressing that dedicated sexual offences courts would ensure timely trials and stronger protection for victims in Delta State.

The Tide’s source reports that facilitators identified cultural acceptance of violence, unequal power relations, discrimination, poverty, limited education, and low self-esteem as major drivers of GBV.

They emphasised that violence and exclusion resulted in social, physical and emotional harm, imposed economic costs, reinforced harmful stereotypes, and widened existing gender inequalities.

The source also reports that OHHEI, a local non-profit organisation, focuses on education, health, environment, and social justice, promoting sustainable development initiatives with gender equality at the centre of its interventions.

Niger Delta

C’River Suspends Taskforce Activities Over Drivers’ Protest

Published

3 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Cross River State Government has suspended all taskforce activities connected to commercial transportation and ticketing across the state.

The State Governor, Bassey Otu, announced the suspension at an emergency stakeholders meeting on Friday in Calabar.

It would be recalled that commercial drivers in Calabar metropolis took to streets on Thursday to protest alleged multiple taxation and extortion by government agencies.

During the protest, the drivers alleged that taskforce groups claiming to represent the state government openly harassed and extorted them.

Represented at the meeting by Ekpenyong Akiba, his Special Adviser on General Duties, Otu said the suspension would subsist pending further review of the situation.

The Governor stated that the state government did not commission anyone to extort drivers in the name of task force.

He urged commercial drivers and other road users to remain law-abiding while government worked out a lasting solution.

On his part, the Chairman, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Calabar Metropolis, Mr. Sunday Dennis, expressed optimism that the dialogue would yield positive results.

He said the meeting had provided an opportunity for the aggrieved commercial drivers to present their concerns directly to the state government.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Unified Drivers Association, Mr. Nta Henshaw, described the harassment on drivers as worrisome, and urged the state government to be decisive in resolving the matter.

Niger Delta

A’Ibom Assembly Urges More Private Investments In Agriculture

Published

3 days ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Committee on Nutrition and Food Security has called for more private sector investments in agriculture.

The Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Moses Essien, made the call when the committee visited Aviclaire Farms, a private establishment in Usung Idem, Uruk Usoh in Abak Local Government Area.

Essien, who represents Ibiono Ibom in the Assembly, commended the Management of the farm for partnering an NGO, ECEWS, to promote private investment in agriculture.

He commended the partners for adopting climate-smart agriculture initiatives in their operations, adding that such move would promote food security.

“Your interest in using transformative intervention to promote food security is a veritable way of complementing the efforts of the state government,” he said.

The lawmaker continued that adopting practical climate-smart agriculture model would help to generate employment, improve nutrition outcomes, and strengthen food sufficiency.

He further said he was impressed with the strides recorded by the partners, saying, “your investment has created jobs for no fewer than 2,000 youths.

”You are an example of an environment-friendly investor. I urge Akwa Ibom residents to embrace environment-friendly and technology-driven agriculture models,” he said.

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer, ECEWS, Dr. Andy Eyo, who conducted the committee round the farm, said the collaboration was conceived to demonstrate the viability of climate-smart farming in ensuring food sufficiency.

Eyo said the farm, which commenced operations with four greenhouses, had expanded to 14 within two years, and currently supplying high-quality produce to major markets in Uyo and neighbouring communities.

He said ECEWS was exploring cooperative frameworks to enable rural farmers and women’s groups to adopt greenhouse technology for sustainable livelihoods.

In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Aviclaire Farms, Mrs. Victoria Eyo, said the controlled-environment ensured precision cultivation and consistent yields.

She further said the farm served as a capacity-building centre for students, interns, and agri-business trainees.