76 Oil Wells - Cross River Wants Supreme Court to Halt Judgment

The Cross River State Government has filed an application before the Supreme Court, asking it to put on hold its scheduled judgement on the dispute between it and Akwa Ibom State over the ownership of the disputed 76 oil wells domiciled at the Bakassi Peninsula.

In the application filed yesterday, Cross River is asking the apex court to suspend its judgment on the matter on the grounds of alleged fraud, alleging that the map presented by Akwa Ibom State and a staff of the National Boundary Commission in an affidavit deposed at the apex court was doctored.

The Supreme Court had fixed July 10 for the delivery of its verdict in the contentious suit over which of the two states the 76 oil wells should be ceded.

Cross River further claimed that the map it did not represent the map of the boundaries between Nigeria and Cameroun.

Cross River further urged the court to put the judgment on hold on the grounds that the map which the court relied on is illegal and fraudulent and could not be used to determine the rightful ownership of the disputed wells.

The state therefore urged the court to expunge the map, which was attached to the affidavit deposed to by Alhaji Bashir Shettima, from the proceedings of the court as an exhibit.

It further urged the court to issue an order to summon Shettima for cross -examination as to why as a Federal government employee, he gave evidence that was biased in favour of Akwa Ibom State contrary to the official position of his employer, the NBC.

Cross River also claimed that NBC had in several letters affirmed its right to the 76 oil wells in dispute only for Shettima to depose to contrary view in an affidavit.

Cross River is also asking the apex court to issue an order to compel a former Attorney- General of the Federation, Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN as a witness so that he could give evidence on the advice he gave in 2006 that formed the foundation of the political solution agreed upon by the parties which was later reduced into an agreement.