Cyril James Omini
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Honourable Member, Yakurr 1 State Constituency | Chairman, House Committee on Finance & Appropriation, Cross River State House of Assembly.
04/05/2026
I am deeply humbled and profoundly grateful to the People’s Mandate Group for their overwhelming show of love, trust, and confidence in my leadership.
Over the weekend, this esteemed sociopolitical group purchased my APC Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms for my return to the Cross River State House of Assembly, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
This gesture is not just about a form; it is a clarion call to continue the work we have started together. It reflects our shared vision of people-oriented representation, accountable governance, and sustainable development across Yakurr 1 State Constituency.
For the past three years, we have worked tirelessly side by side to ensure that the voice of our people remains loud, clear, and impossible to ignore in the Assembly.
From road construction to facilitation of jobs for our unemployed youth, empowerment programmes, and grassroots engagement, we have made real progress-because you believed in the dream.
Today, I feel more energized than ever and even more committed to quality representation, inclusive governance, and policies that truly uplift our communities.
I thank every single member of the People’s Mandate Group for this honour. I also thank the APC family and the good people of Yakurr 1 for their unwavering support.
As the political process unfolds, I urge us all to stand firmly with Governor Bassey Otu and the APC. Let us remain peaceful, united, and focused. Together, we will sustain the development momentum and keep Yakurr 1 winning.
03/05/2026
Yesterday, I visited the Obol Lopon of Idomi HRM Obol Ofem Inah Edet, and his chiefs, and we had constructive discussions. From there, I proceeded to the Ugep Divisional Police Headquarters.
These visits were critical to de-escalating tensions and opening direct lines of communication between both communities.
I am pleased to inform you that as a result of these engagements, two Idomi youths who were held in connection with the ongoing land dispute have been released.
I commend the Nigerian Police Force for their professionalism and cooperation. No community should lose its sons and daughters over a piece of land. I will not rest until lasting peace is secured.
I urge all constituents to remain calm and law-abiding. Further peace meetings are underway. We are one constituency. Peace will prevail.
02/05/2026
Nigeria’s Maritime Future Has a New Address.
Today, I am speaking not just as a lawmaker representing the Yakurr 1 State Constituency, but speaking as someone who has watched, waited, and believed that Cross River State would finally take its rightful place on Nigeria’s economic map.
The Federal Government’s approval of the Bakassi Deep Seaport is not just another infrastructure decision. To me, it is a bold repositioning of our nation’s economic geography. And I want to give special recognition to Governor Bassey Edet Otu. Under his leadership, what was once a long-held dream has become a federally backed, investment-ready reality. Let the numbers speak for themselves.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has unlocked over ₦6.43 trillion, roughly $4.29 billion in private capital through PPP approvals. Of that, $2.27 billion is specifically for the Bakassi Deep Seaport. But for me, these figures tell a deeper story. This is not just funding. This is confidence. This is the market voting for Cross River State.
Yet the real game-changer is where this port is sited, Kwa Island. I call it Nigeria’s maritime ace. Kwa Island is not just a location; it is leverage. It gives Nigeria depth, access, and advantage in the Gulf of Guinea. From here, we are no longer just participating in maritime trade, we are shaping it.
This port will fundamentally alter Nigeria’s logistics architecture. It will bring us closer to cargo dominance in the Gulf of Guinea, reduce the massive capital flight caused by diverted shipments, and create a deep-water gateway capable of handling the next generation of vessels that our current ports struggle to serve.
The benefits will not end at Cross River’s borders. The Bakassi Deep Seaport will open a direct economic corridor to the North-Central and North-East regions. It will unlock inland productivity and integrate our domestic markets into global supply chains with an efficiency we have never seen before. This is how nations rise. You build infrastructure that does not just serve today, but commands tomorrow.
We are talking about a new wave of industrialization, logistics expansion, massive job creation, and a significant boost to Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings. Cross River State will become the undisputed maritime hub of West and Central Africa.
Let me say this about Governor Otu, his leadership is quietly disruptive. It is not rooted in rhetoric, it is rooted in results. While others debate potential, he delivers outcomes. This approval proves that Cross River State is no longer waiting to be included in Nigeria’s economic story. We are now writing a major chapter of it.
And I am confident that the Cross River State House of Assembly will stand firmly behind this project. I, for one, will work tirelessly to ensure we provide the necessary legislative support, fiscal alignment, and oversight to turn approval into ex*****on, and ex*****on into prosperity.
The momentum is building. And one message is becoming unmistakably clear. The center of gravity in Nigeria’s maritime economy is shifting, and it is tilting decisively toward Bakassi.
Hon. Cyril James Omini
Member Representing Yakurr 1 Cross River State House of Assembly
27/04/2026
NIGERIA’S MARITIME PUSH GAINS STRATEGIC BACKING FROM CROSS RIVER:
I wish to commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Bassey Edet Otu on Nigeria's strategic maritime security push in the Gulf of Guinea.
Nigeria's recent deployment of 10 warships, two helicopters, and special forces to the Gulf of Guinea marks a decisive escalation in the fight against piracy and oil theft, reinforcing the country's commitment to safeguarding its maritime domain.
Against this backdrop, I applaud Governor Bassey Edet Otu for advancing a forward-looking maritime vision, particularly his efforts to re-establish approximately 780 hectares of navigable water within the state's estuarine systems and the Western Bakassi corridor.
This initiative aligns with the provisions of the 2005 Green Tree Agreement, which redefined territorial boundaries in the Bakassi Peninsula following international adjudication.
The Governor's approach underscores a strategic recalibration: while 68% of the Bakassi Peninsula was ceded to Cameroon along the East Point median line up to the Rio del Rey estuary, Nigeria retains sovereign interest in the remaining Western Bakassi axis, comprising Dayspring Island, Kwa Island, and Western Abana.
Reinvigorating these maritime spaces is not only a matter of territorial continuity but also an economic and security imperative.
In light of Nigeria's expanded naval operations, I urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sustain heightened attention on the Gulf of Guinea, describing it as a critical national security frontier.
From the Cross River estuary at the Atlantic gateway to the Badagry river systems in the west, Nigeria's offshore assets remain vulnerable to transnational threats that demand coordinated military, economic, and diplomatic responses.
I also thank Governor Otu for elevating experienced leadership into this strategic theatre, notably the projection of a former Speaker, Rt. Hon. John Gaul Lebo, LLM, LBS, Harvard Alumnus and expert in continental shelf geological formations under UNCLOS standards, as a lead envoy representing Nigeria's interests in the Gulf of Guinea and the Extended Continental Shelf.
This move strengthens Nigeria's institutional voice in regional maritime governance and resource negotiations.
The convergence of federal military action and subnational maritime development signals a more integrated approach to coastal security; one that blends defense readiness with territorial stewardship and economic foresight.
Hon. Cyril James Omini
Member Representing Yakurr I State Constituency Cross River State House of Assembly
26/04/2026
Today, I join family, friends, and well-wishers to celebrate Hon. Jesam Ibiang, the Councillor representing Ikpakapit Ward in the Yakurr Local Government Legislative Council.
You serve your ward and community with uncommon grace, and that makes everyone around you better. So here's to more strength and more years.
Happy birthday, Councillor!
24/04/2026
Today, I join family, friends, and well-wishers to celebrate Alice Etim Ndem, the Head of Protocol to the First Lady of Cross River State.
You handle a demanding role with uncommon grace, and that makes everyone’s job around you easier. So here’s to more strength, more years, and fewer surprises.
Happy birthday, HOP!
CROSS RIVER –AKWA IBOM OIL WELLS DISPUTE AND THE RECOGNITION OF WESTERN BAKASSI ISLANDS:
MAKING A CASE FOR LEGISLATIVE COLLABORATION AND RESOLUTION.
The lingering dispute between Cross River State and its sister state, Akwa Ibom, over maritime boundaries and oil wells remains one of Nigeria’s most delicate subnational tensions.
More than two decades after the 2002 International Court of Justice (ICJ) judgment ceded the southern Bakassi Peninsula—including Atabong, Archibong Town, Akwabana, and the Akwayafe Estuary to Cameroon, critical questions surrounding the western Bakassi axis and associated oil assets remain unresolved.
While the ICJ judgment ceded portions of Bakassi, it unequivocally retained the western Bakassi islands—Dayspring 1 and 2, Qua Island, Western Abana, and crucially, the Cross River Estuary within Nigeria’s sovereign territory.
This distinction is not merely cartographic; it is strategic, economic, and geopolitical.
The delineation of boundaries using two median lines an East Point median line that ceded southern Bakassi and a West Point median line that preserved western Bakassi was deliberate and significant.
The West Point alignment ensured Nigeria retained access to a vital international navigation corridor through the Cross River Estuary. This channel holds strategic value comparable, in functional terms, to globally critical maritime routes, serving as a gateway for trade and economic activity in the Gulf of Guinea.
Regrettably, the failure of the National Boundary Commission and the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation to properly demarcate this ICJ-sanctioned boundary remains a national embarrassment.
Rather than implementing the ICJ’s Map No. 12 in full, the 2008 boundary exercise diverted focus inward, redrawing baselines within the unceded western Bakassi region.
This exercise controversially reassigned 76 oil wells previously attributed to Cross River State to Akwa Ibom.
More troubling is that the 2008 mapping exercise failed to define the full extent of Nigeria’s international maritime boundary as awarded by the ICJ.
In doing so, it effectively ceded approximately 780 hectares of maritime territory within the Cross River Estuary corridor, stretching toward the maritime alignment with Cameroon at the Akwayafe River.
This represents not only a technical lapse but a strategic misstep with long-term economic implications.
Today, the dispute has expanded, with over 238 oil wells now at the center of renewed contention.
Yet, this moment also presents an opportunity for statesmanship, collaboration, and legislative leadership.
This is why a coordinated legislative intervention is both timely and necessary.
The Houses of Assembly of Cross River and Akwa Ibom States, alongside members of the National Assembly, must rise above parochial interests and work toward a structured, equitable resolution.
Nigeria is fortunate to have the current Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, a statesman with deep historical and political ties to the old Cross River State.
His leadership presents a unique opportunity to convene a legislative convergence capable of resolving this dispute. With experienced figures such as former Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba and other stakeholders, the institutional memory and capacity for resolution are readily available.
Encouragingly, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has already advised both states to pursue an amicable settlement under the Senate President’s leadership. Reports indicate that multiple high-level meetings have taken place. What is now required is the political will to translate dialogue into durable outcomes.
The pathway forward must be anchored on a win-win framework one that ensures no victor and no vanquished. Akwa Ibom State need not lose its existing oil assets, while Cross River State must be rightfully restored to its status as an oil-producing state, a designation it effectively lost following the 2008 adjustments.
Beyond oil, the destinies of both states are deeply intertwined. Their economies are linked by land and maritime trade corridors, shared cultural heritage, and ecological systems. Continued delay in resolving this dispute risks fostering a fragile peace what may be described as “the peace of the graveside” which could, over time, deteriorate into avoidable conflict.
Nigeria has only eight coastal states, and Cross River and Akwa Ibom are foremost among them. Their geographic and geological realities are shaped by the Cross River Basin, the Calabar River, the Great Kwa River, and their collective discharge into the Atlantic Ocean.
These are natural phenomena beyond legal reinterpretation.
Similarly, the Calabar Channel and the elongated continental shelf are products of science and geography, not political convenience. Both states are beneficiaries of these natural endowments and must collaborate to harness the immense potential of the blue economy.
This is, therefore, a clarion call to both state legislatures and the National Assembly: the time to act is now.
Through cooperation, foresight, and courage, this dispute can be transformed from a source of division into a model of intergovernmental resolution.
If we succeed, we will not only secure economic prosperity for our people but also etch our names in gold in the annals of history.
To my colleagues in the Cross River and Akwa Ibom Houses of Assembly and the National Assembly, I say: the time to act is now. I rest my case.
Hon. Cyril James Omini
Member Representing Yakurr 1, Cross River State House of Assembly
20/04/2026
A Call for Peace and Calm in Yakurr 1 State Constituency.
Dear Constituents,
I wish to address the ongoing unrest between some farmers from Ketabebe in Ugep Community and Idomi Community within Yakurr 1 State Constituency over a land dispute. This situation is deeply troubling, and I know many of you are afraid. I want to assure you that I am fully aware and actively engaged on this matter.
I call on both communities to immediately cease all forms of hostility and confrontation. No piece of land is worth the life or blood of any constituent of Yakurr 1 State Constituency. I have personally spoken with Traditional Rulers, Local Government authorities, and the Office of State Security Adviser.
Violence, trespass, destruction of property, and any form of lawlessness will not be tolerated. Anyone found instigating trouble or taking the law into their own hands will face the full consequences. There is no excuse for chaos in our constituency.
To all residents, traders, workers, and commuters in Ugep and Idomi communities, please remain calm. Go about your lawful businesses without fear. Do not allow anyone to use you as a tool for disorder. I am in constant communication with the relevant authorities, and I believe peace will return very soon.
I will continue to engage all stakeholders, including youth leaders, elders, and community heads, until a lasting resolution is reached. I am also making arrangements for a peace meeting between both communities in the coming days.
We are one constituency and one family. This dispute does not define us. Let us choose peace, dialogue, and respect for the law. I stand with you, and I will not rest until normalcy is fully restored in Ugep and Idomi communities.
Cyril James Omini
Member Representing Yakurr 1 State Constituency Cross River State House of Assembly
18/04/2026
Happy Birthday to my Media Aide, Philip Edward. Thank you for your loyalty and service.
May this new age bring you greater joy, open doors, and the reward of every silent labour.
Keep shining.
16/04/2026
CELEBRATING OUR NOBLE KING ON HIS BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY.
Today, I join many Sons and Daughters of Yakurr both home and in diaspora and the general public in celebrating the epoch birthday anniversary of our King; The Obol Lopon of Ugep and The Paramount Ruler of the Yakurr Kingdom, His Royal Majesty Obol Ofem Ubana Eteng.
Your enthronement as King of the Yakurr Kingdom has brought us peace, progress and prosperity. You’ve continued to use your good office in attracting government presence to the Kingdom, which has birthed development and growth across the communities under your watch as the custodian of our land.
Today, the Almighty God and our ancestors have granted you another opportunity to continue in your divine mediation; I pray this opportunity brings you strength and vigor and the needed exuberance and wisdom to rule peaceably and tolerably for the betterment of the Yakurr people.
As your son, and the serving Member Representing the Yakurr 1 State Constituency at the State House Assembly, I have continually sought your wise counsel and collaboration over these years. I look forward to our continued partnership to move Yakurr to even greater heights.
Kindly accept my warmest and sincere congratulations on your birthday anniversary today.
Happy birthday, my Obol Lopon.
Long live the King.
11/04/2026
Today, I join family, friends, and colleagues to celebrate, Hon. Dr. Emmanuel Ironbar, the Chief of Staff to the Governor of Cross River State.
The reason government runs without daily chaos is the Chief of Staff, coordinating, calming, and connecting the dots before anyone else sees the problem.
That is the kind of Chief every governor needs. One who holds the center, not the microphone. Wishing you more years of strength, good health, and quiet impact.
God bless you, sir.