The Cross River State delegation has denied walking out on the Federal Government Inter-Agency Technical Committee probing the disputed and newly drilled oil and gas wells between the state and Akwa Ibom State.

A former Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, John Gaul Lebo, who spoke on behalf of the delegation, explained that the delegates rather insisted that the proceedings should go on despite a protest by Akwa Ibom State indigenes in Abuja before the commencement of the sitting.

Lebo, in a statement yesterday, said that contrary to the narrative being circulated, the proceedings were initially paused when the acting chairman of the committee, representing the Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Aliyu Almakura Abdulkadir (Federal Commissioner representing Nasarawa State), announced a temporary suspension of the presentation of the committee’s report.

According to him, the Cross River State delegation expressed concern over this development and formally protested the suspension, adding that the committee agreed to proceed with the presentation as earlier scheduled.

“However, during the presentation, the appointed surveyor comprehensively established both the land and maritime boundaries between Cross River State and Akwa Ibom State using newly generated coordinate mapping. This technical exercise clearly reaffirmed the existing boundary demarcations between the two states.

“The presentation was subsequently disrupted when the Surveyor-General of Akwa Ibom State, Surv Emem Isang, raised an unsubstantiated claim that Akwa Ibom State does not share a maritime boundary with Cross River State.

“This assertion prompted strong objections from the Cross River delegation, leading to a protest within the proceedings as the Akwa Ibom State delegation stalled the programme.

In view of the heightened disagreement, the sitting was adjourned and formally suspended to a later date, pending the presence of the substantive Chairman of the Commission, Dr Mohammed Bello Shehu, who is expected to oversee the final presentation of the report to the affected states,” he said.

He said there was a clear and established maritime boundary between Cross River State and Akwa Ibom State, stating that the committee’s findings had confirmed this position, which he had earlier outlined in his petition to President Bola Tinubu.

“For the avoidance of doubt, at no point did the Cross River State delegation stage a walkout from the meeting. The delegation remained fully engaged throughout the proceedings and participated actively in all deliberations until the official suspension of the sitting,” Lebo insisted.

More so, he said the Cross River State delegation was led by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Emmanuel Ironbar, and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ededem Ani, alongside other senior government officials and stakeholders.

Ironbar, while addressing Cross River’s delegation, said the Government of Cross River State remains committed to due process, constructive dialogue, and peaceful resolution of all boundary-related matters in line with constitutional provisions and established legal frameworks.

“We therefore urge members of the public and media organisations to rely on verified information and exercise professionalism in their reportage, in the interest of peace, unity, and responsible journalism,” he added. (The Sun)

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