Shun Oil Gloom

The current disagreement  between Rivers and Bayelsa States over the ownership of oil wells is understandable if viewed in terms of the quantum of revenue that accrues to a state on account of the number of oil wells embedded in its bowels by nature. The situation is made more difficult now by the fact that neither of the major gladiators, being the chief executives of the respectives states or their agents, is expected to step back for the other, except if reason prevails.

To do otherwise would be misconstrued by their constituents as a sign of weakness or acceptance that the opposing side has better claim to the object of dispute. In as much as we do not doubt the ability of the governors to protect their citizens and their belongings within the areas under their control,  the issue at stake in this case, the demarcation of the boundary between Degema Division in Rivers State and Brass Division in Bayelsa transcends all that, if our long standing relationship which predates the creation of states is taken into consideration. As such no one is expected to go into a frenzy and concoct actions which backlash may not be in the interest of the greater number of citizens of the oil bearing cammunities in question. Thus, one was alarmed when it was reported that at a recent security meeting, the Bayelsa State government directed security chiefs to tighten security in communities sharing boarders with Rivers State.

During the meeting the state security council was reported to have mapped out areas susceptible to attack and resolved to buy  more gun boats to improve surveillance on the affected areas. Good idea to secure ones territory, but against which invading forces is Bayelsa building up gun boats at a time when the effect of the floods which ravaged the state and elsewhere is still taking its toll on the people.  It is regreatable that this crisis was thrown up by the recent release of the 12th edition of the administrative map of  Nigeria by the National Boundary Commission (NBC).

This development which is said to have favoured Bayelsa State, purports to cede some oil wells hitherto in Rivers territory, to it. The KalabariS  in Akuku-Toru Local Government and the Rivers State Government have since challenged this ceding of what they described as their territory to Bayelsa. More important is the allegation that revenue accruing from the disputed fields may have been paid to Bayelsa in error, even as the issue of the demarcation of the boundary between the Kalabaris and the Nembe’s of Bayelsa, is a subject in Court. While the pronouncement of the Supreme Court is being awaited there is need for the states’ Chief Executives to exeecise caution in what they do or neglect to do in this very volatile issue which could defy settlement till they leave office. It is instructive that the scarce resources of both states be deployed to areas where they are needed most including attempts at curbing the growing incidence of illegal oil refining and theft in the creeks and rivers of the Niger Delta. The incidence of oil theft has become so rampant that the Rivers State government has, in its bid to checkmate the menace, which seems to have defied the skills of security operatives, ordered surveillance helicopters to track the miscreants whose activities has robbed the country of trillions of naira in the past of few years.

In fact, only recently the SPDC shut down the Imo River Trunkline on its Eastern operations after it found several crude theft points on the facility, a development which has denied the government the benefit of 25,000 barrels of crude per day.

It is quite disturbing that this crude oil theft is perpetrated right in the presence, and in some cases with tacit connivance of those detailed to protect the oil facilities by the Nigerian government. A visit to Marine Base in Port Harcourt and coastal towns like Bonny will reveal broad day light crude oil theft that is now a passtime of relatives and friends of security operatives posted to checkmate the incidence. Despite the devastation to the ecosystem which this deplorable action unleashes on the environment with dire consequences to the means of livelihood of people of the Niger Delta nothing in concrete terms, is being done to stop it because some untouchables may be involved.

The efforts and resources of the governments of Rivers and Bayelsa States should be harnessed to check this menace which is their duty to handle with the vigour it demands. The beating of war drums over oil wells at this point in our history may not be in our interest even as I sympathise  with the government of Rivers State which now appears to be at the losing end with 49 of its oil wells recently ceded to Imo and now 70 to Bayelsa.

The advise of the governor of old Rivers State, King Alfred Diete-Spiff that amicable solution should be found to this age-long dispute should be taken with all seriousness. Any precipitate action by any person or group of persons from both sides of the divide in this dispute that could lead to bloodshed must be jettisoned. Beefing up security in border areas between Rivers and Bayelsa is tantamount to inciting the youth of both areas. They should be careful not to lay down their lives for an issue that would outlive them, otherwise let a referendum be carried out to decipher where the people in the disputed areas want to belong.