Date Published: 08/20/09

Dear Editor,

Imoke and drive for revenue

In recent time, I read some fears expressed by one Akpabio Ini in his letter to the Editor.  In it he warned that the sympathy people have for Cross River would reduce drastically if Governor Liyel Imoke went ahead to acquire an aircraft from the Rivers State government for private use of the State governor.

I believe the advice has yielded fruit judging by the revelation of Imoke’s Chief Press Secretary that it acquired the aircraft for commercial flights that would predominantly be on shuttle between Calabar airport and Obudu ranch. This is another way of bolstering the revenue base of the State to partly cushion off the problem created by Akwa Ibom government taking back the 76 oil wells.  And for this, I say more kudos to Imoke.

But I still belong to the side asking that the oil wells be returned to Cross River.  Akwa Ibom which now takes home (monthly) N16billion from the federation account should reconsider its suit in court against what would be restoring to Cross River State monthly amount of under N500million; this is chicken-change. Cross River presently receives monthly paltry sum of N1.2billion as against Akwa Ibom’s N10billion, yet Akwa Ibom had gone to court asking also that Cross River should return N32billion what it benefited from the oil wells in the past. To many, this is overkill.

Mr. Edet Asuquo

Ikpa Road      

Uyo-Akwa Ibom State