Rivers, Bayelsa Tussle Is Administrative – Abe

Senator Magnus Abe, has said that the present tussle between Rivers and Bayelsa States over oil well is administrative tussle.

Speaking on a television programme Friday Senator Abe dismissed the insinuation that it was a boarder dispute.

“It is stated clearly that this dispute between Rivers and Bayelsa states is a boarder issue, there is none. There is a mistake in an administrative map which Bayelsa used as an opportunity to seize some revenues that were accrued to Rivers State from the oil producing communities that are in Rivers State.

It is not a boarder issue. No body has shifted the boarder. Another thing that I will also want to point out is how come that all this issue of boarder is always in the Niger Delta? You can never hear any boarder issue between Kebbi and Sokoto”.

Meanwhile, the recent protest by Kalabari Chiefs and people over the planned ceding part of their land to Bayelsa State is still receiving reactions.

An elderstatesman and chairman of the Rivers State Chapter of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), Binaebi Dagogo-Jack said the protest by the Kalabari Chiefs and people shows the fear and anxiety being generated by the alleged planned forceful transfer of over twenty oil and gas producing communities from Rivers to Bayelsa State.

Dagogo_Jack, however, maintained that the best solution is for Rivers and Bayelsa States as well as the affected communities to meet and dialogue to restore peace, justice and normalcy.

In his own comment, a social commentator and Chairman of the Hard Truth Newspaper, Opunabo Inko-Tariah said that he believes in the ability of Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to make a proper case for the Kalabari people.

Opunabo said that it is sad that over N17 billion was recently paid to Bayelsa State from Elem Sangama oil well that was supposed to accrue to Rivers State.

“What should be done is to go there and reinstate the position of the Kalabari people and to emphasise the position of Rivers State, not just the Kalabari because these are revenues that would come to Rivers State as a whole.

So, Governor Amaechi should just go and do the mandate he has as the representative in this particular matter. He should tell Mr. President that the people of Rivers State have said no, that they won’t go. In just how many days Bayelsa got N17 billion from Elem Sangama.

Shedie Okpara