Soku Oil Well: How Seriake Lied To Nigerians -RSG

Irked by the deliberate attempt by Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson to twist facts over the ownership of Soku oil wells early this week, Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon. Chibuike Amaechi has called on Nigerians to ignore the propaganda being dished out by the sister state chief executive.
Amaechi, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, David Iyofor yesterday in Port Harcourt, said the ownership of Soku oil wells is not debatable no matter how the Bayelsa State governor may seek to spin them.
The Rivers State governor explained that right from the colonial period and according to the 10th edition of the Administrative Map of Nigeria, the boundaries between the Kalabaris in Rivers State and their neighbours in Nembe, Bayelsa State, have been clearly delineated, with the boundary clearly marked with the Santa Barbara River.
He argued that contention over the disputed oil rich Kalabari community started during the administration of Dr. Peter Odili, who at that time had protested the error observed in the 11th Administrative Map, and which the Director-General of the National Boundary Commission(NBC) had already agreed to correct in the 12th edition of the map.
The governor reminded his Bayelsa State counterpart that it was the contention and the legal tussle that followed that gave birth to an agreement in which the revenues accruing from the oil wells were to be paid to an escrow account until matters were settled.
Citing the Supreme Court decision on the matter, he said, “the Supreme Court Judgement is clear- that it could not and will not decided the boundary based on the erroneous 11th edition Administrative Map the Bayelsa State Governor is relying on and using as his basis to claim Bayelsa ownership of the Soku oil wells; but it will await the final delineation to be heralded by the promised 12th edition of the map’’.
While enjoining well meaning Rivers State citizens and Nigerians to discountenance Hon. Dickson’s claim, Governor Amaechi queried his Bayelsa State counterpart on why the monies saved from the oil wells pending settlement of the matter in court was secretly paid to his state.
He also queried  why Governor Dickson would comment and rely on a map whose authors have promised to remedy, further noting, “ Is it not unjust, even immoral, to allow a party to a disputed oil well to be drawing proceeds from the oil well when the matter is the subject at the Supreme Court?”
On Governor Dickson’s claim that Amaechi was using the oil well to blackmail President Jonathan and inciting Soku people against him, the Rivers State governor said, “ this assertion is dangerous, unfounded and in bad faith. He stated that rather,  it is the Bayelsa State governor who has been blackmailing Kalabari and , cajoling them to relinquish the Soku oil wells to Bayelsa State.

Secretary to Rivers State Government, Mr George Feyii (left), with the Head of Civil Service, Mr Samuel LongJohn, during the 2014 Rivers Civil Service Prayer session/dedication in Port Harcourt, Wednesday