By Nakanda Iyadim
Cross River State’s long-standing campaign for recognition as an oil-producing State has received a fresh lifeline as the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) moves to reopen the verification of disputed and newly drilled oil and gas wells, effectively setting aside its previous draft report.
The Commission on Wednesday inaugurated a reconstituted Inter-Agency Technical Committee (IATC) to verify wells drilled from 2017 to date, following widespread claims, counterclaims and grievances over the earlier draft.
The renewed exercise aims to establish the precise coordinates of disputed wells, plot them on approved official maps, and definitively settle their locations and boundaries for proper revenue allocation.
In a statement issued in Abuja, RMAFC Chairman, Dr Mohammed Bello Shehu, said the exercise aligns with the Commission’s constitutional mandate to monitor the Federation Account, which is vital for the equitable distribution of the 13 percent derivation fund.
He directed the committee to carefully weigh relevant court judgments, rely strictly on approved maps and conduct physical field verifications where necessary.
To safeguard the credibility of the process, RMAFC has established a two-tier structure comprising technical experts and an executive committee. Crucially, the Surveyors-General of affected states and representatives of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) will participate as observers.
Also speaking, RMAFC Secretary, Tosin Adeyanju, reminded members that the renewed exercise will face heightened scrutiny, drawing critical lessons from previous exercises.
For Cross River State, this development breathes new life into a grievance pursued for years. A February report by the IATC had indicated the verification of 119 crude oil and gas wells for the state, alongside a recommendation for a refund of revenue arrears from neighbouring Akwa Ibom State.
However, RMAFC later classified that document as a mere draft, forwarding it to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the National Boundary Commission and the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation for comprehensive review.
Governor Bassey Otu has consistently framed the struggle as a fight for economic justice deeply rooted in the fallout of the Bakassi Peninsula cession.
Experts believe that with State Surveyors-General now engaged as observers and physical field verifications back on the table, Cross River State has a renewed opportunity to present its geological and hydrographic evidence for formal acceptance.
