Lawyer and Former Speaker, Cross River State House of Assembly, John Lebo has faulted the implementation of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) judgment that led to the loss of Bakassi Peninsula and the state’s access to offshore oil wells, blaming the National Boundary Commission (NBC) for what he described as a misguided policy interpretation.
During an interview with ARISE NEWS
on Monday, following renewed discussions around the 2012 Supreme Court ruling which awarded ownership of the disputed offshore oil wells to Akwa Ibom State, Lebo argued that the legal and political processes that led to the loss were flawed and could be revisited. Asserting that Cross River’s territorial status had been wrongly diminished in the aftermath of the ICJ ruling and the NBC’s actions.
“There is no portion of the ICJ judgement where the ICJ pronounced that Cross River State is not a territorial state.”
He maintained that Cross River still shares a boundary with the Atlantic Ocean and had never been landlocked, contrary to the assumptions that underpinned federal boundary decisions.
“The National Boundary Commission abandoned the demarcation of Bakassi and went ahead to relocate the oil wells,”he said, claiming that the federal agency acted unilaterally without fully executing the ICJ’s orders.
Lebo accused the NBC of relying on flawed cartography that failed to reflect the state’s historical and legal boundaries.
“We have evidence of historical presence census records, electoral data, and treaties from 1884 and 1885. Even the plebiscite that transferred Bakassi was conducted under the supervision of the Nigerian government.”
Refuting Akwa Ibom’s monthly financial compensation of ₦250 million to Cross River, he asked, “You are giving us ₦250 million in respect of what? Oil wells located where?”
He argued that the Supreme Court’s 2012 decision was based on incorrect advisory from the NBC, not on a full legal evaluation of the state’s maritime status.
“The judgement of the Supreme Court was inspired by a wrong policy advisory decision of the National Boundary Commission.”
Emphasising that Cross River was not questioning the authority of the Supreme Court, but rather the flawed process that led to the ruling. “A judgement is executory when it is subject to actions like cartography and hydrological survey,” he explained, insisting that Cross River still retains legal and geographical rights to offshore areas.
Lebo also warned of broader implications for Nigeria if the boundary decisions are not reviewed. “Cameroon has moved ahead to take over 16 islands in local governments. That is one of Nigeria’s richest points with 2,600 oil wells.”
According to him, the boundary commission’s missteps not only cost Cross River its oil wells but also exposed the country to further territorial losses.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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