Rivers Crisis, Handiwork Of Misguided Politicians – A.K Horsfall

Participants attending a session on broiler chain production at the Viv International Nigeria Summit in Abuja last Wednesday. Photo: NAN

Elder Statesman and former Chairman of the defunct Oil Mineral Producing Areas development Commission (OMPADEC), Chief Albert Horsfall has attributed the present political crisis rocking Rivers State to the handiwork of misguided politicians who are bent on setting Rivers State on fire.
In a press statement issued in Port Harcourt, Chief Horsfall cautioned against a repeat of some of the irresponsible practices which in the past had lauded Rivers State, and Nigeria in general in serous turmoil and bloodshed.
He noted that the latest in the series of regrettable events in the evolving political scenario centres on two issues, including the Soku oil wells and the political activities of the newly created All progressives congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by the respective leaders of the political blocks.
Apart from issues of common boundary demarcation, he stated that the Soku Oil wells saga was exacerbated by :the issue of proceeds from the disputed oil wells as to which state ought to receive the payments”.
He pointed out that “the people in these areas of the two neighbouring states are all Ijaws, and therefore, the communities concerned brothers, have for several hundred years been indigenes of kalabari or nembe as the case may be. What these communities are interested in is to return to the status quo ante so that the Kalabaris will remain in Rivers while the Nembes will remain in Bayelsa”.
He, therefore, called on President Goodluck Jonathan to “intervene and either restore the position as it was before the disputed administrative map of 2000 or order as stay of action on both sides or until an amicable and agreed solution has been found by a competent Tribunal or court of law.
He cautioned against the involvement of the Police in Partisan politics, and called on the Police authorities to insulate its personnel at all levels from being used to achieve the vested interests of politicians.
Chief Horsfall also appealed to all sides in the political imbrogilio to allow peace to reign in Rivers State and allow the ordinary folks to go about their daily lives without fear of violence and unnecessary tension.