Group Writes President Tinubu, Decries Years of Injustice and Marginalization Against Cross River

Group Writes President Tinubu, Decries Years of Injustice and Marginalization Against Cross River

 

 

The Cross River State Patriotic Front (CRSPF), a socio-political advocacy group, has written a heartfelt petition to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, crying out over what it described as long-standing injustice and marginalization against the people of Cross River State.

 

In a statement signed by the group’s Director General, Castro Ezama, the CRSPF congratulated President Tinubu on his second anniversary in office while also using the occasion to highlight what it sees as deep-rooted systemic neglect suffered by the state over the years.

 

The group commended the President for key developmental strides, particularly the approval and commencement of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, which it described as a “signature project” with massive potential for economic growth across various sectors including commerce, agriculture, transportation, and real estate.

However, CRSPF lamented that despite Cross River’s historic contributions to Nigeria’s unity—citing the state’s role during the Nigerian Civil War and the resulting sacrifices—its people have received little recognition or reward from successive federal administrations.

 

Key Grievances Listed

 

The group listed a series of grievances that it says illustrate the scale of the injustices faced by Cross River State, including:

 

1. Loss of Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon and the federal government’s failure to fully implement the Green Tree Agreement for the resettlement and welfare of displaced people.

 

2. Ceding of 76 oil wells to neighboring Akwa Ibom State, which severely impacted the state’s economic standing.

 

3. Lopsided federal appointments that have left Cross River underrepresented at the national level.

 

4. Loss of a Category A ministerial position without replacement and relegation of the state’s second ministerial slot to a minister of state.

 

5. Neglect of the Calabar seaport, which the group described as moribund despite its economic potential.

 

6. Deplorable state of federal roads, which have resulted in fatalities and major disruptions to economic activities in the state.

 

7. Marginalization in regional development bodies like the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the newly formed South-South Development Commission.

 

8. Underrepresentation in the federal civil service, with qualified Crossriverians allegedly excluded from recruitment exercises.

 

A Call for Presidential Intervention

 

The group appealed to President Tinubu to use his office as a “father of the nation” to urgently address what it termed “barefaced undoings” against Cross River State.

 

“We most respectfully request you to intervene in these long-standing issues and direct relevant authorities to take corrective actions,” the statement read. “The people of Cross River State deserve justice, equity, and inclusion in the Nigerian project.”

 

CRSPF affirmed its continued belief in the unity and progress of Nigeria, but insisted that justice and fairness must be extended to every corner of the federation, including Cross River.