Oil Well Dispute: RSG’ll Sustain Co-operation With NBC- Ikuru

Rivers State Government says it would continue to co-operate with the National Boundary Commission (NBC) to resolve the dispute between it and Bayelsa State over the oil wells unilaterally allocated to the sister state by the Revenue Mobilisation , Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

The state Deputy Governor and chairman of the state Boundary Commission, Engr Tele Ikuru stated this Wednesday when he, along with his Bayelsa State countpart, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah and Director- General of the NBC, Dr Mohammed Ahmed led a delegation of the NBC to pay a courtesy visit ton the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson in Government House, Yenagoa.

Engr Ikuru who reiterated the need for both parties to imbibe the principle pf peace and harmony, stated that ‘ we must strive to maintain the peace which has existed from time immemorial”

It would be recalled that Rivers State pulled out of the ongoing boundary delineation exercise until certain conditions were fulfilled.

Ikuru, who announced the stand of Rivers State during a joint meeting of officials of both states in Yenagoa, expressed worry that present efforts at amicable resolution of the dispute had been undermined as Bayelsa State was still enjoying the resources from the disputed areas.

He insisted on the refund of the revenue paid out to Bayelsa State from the escrow account, retention of the revenues from the disputed areas in the escrow account, and stressed the need for both parties to return to the status quo.

Explaining that deductions from the joint escrow account of the two states were being made inspite of a subsisting order of the Supreme Court, he stated the we cannot sit and watch our resources being taken away from us unjustly”.

He noted that the federal government, through its agencies, had paid about N27billion being revenue accruing from the disputed oil wells in Soku, Kula, Idama, amongst others to Bayelsa State, and called for stoppage of such illegal payments.

The D-G of the National Boundary Commission (NBC), Dr Mohammed Ahmed remarked that boundary matters were crucial hence it is imperative to handle them in a manner that both parties would be  at peace, and assured that NBC would do all it could to fashion out  an amicable solution to the crisis.

‘We are here to re-examine the technical reports so as to resolve the issues on the boundary, not to take sides’, said Dr Ahmed, promising to adhere to President Goodluck Jonathan’s instruction on the matter. He also stated that though it is a delicate one, but we will ensure the matter resolved according to the Supreme Court order.

A communiqué adopted at the end of the joint meeting, indicated that the participants took the decision to discontinue the boundary delineation exercise based on the stance of Rivers State to pull out of the process.

Governor Dickson, who received the delegation noted that the areas being disputed and the resources  therein belong to the people and predate the existence of Nigeria itself, emphasizing that any  attempt by some elements to instigate crisis between the two states would be resisted. He called on politicians, traditional rulers and opinion leaders to advise their people to maintain the peace in the area.

The Bayelsa State Governor thanked Rivers State for its sincere commitment to amicable resolution of this crucial matter, and pledged his state’s commitment to work with the commission and abide by its decision.

He particularly warned politicians to refrain from politicizing sensitive issues capable of breaching the relative peace existing between the two states.

Chris Oluoh

L-R: Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mr Mohammed Sada, Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga and Minister of National Planning, Dr Shamsuddeen Usman, at the public presentation of the Roadmap for the Development of Solid Minerals and Metals Sector in Abuja, yesterday.