Confab: A’Ibom Protests Creation Of ‘Oil Rivers State’ …As Conference Winds Up

A former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah, a former Minister of Lands and Survey, Chief Nduese Essien and other members of the Akwa Ibom State caucus at the National Conference have kicked against the recommendation of the conference for the creation of “Oil Rivers State” from the present Akwa Ibom and Rivers states.
In a protest letter addressed to the Chairman of the conference, the 13 delegates from the state said the provision is now contained on Page 4, Line 11 of the “Draft Constitution” produced by the conference secretariat.
According to the delegates, the proposed plan to dismember some parts of Akwa Ibom State to form an “Oil Rivers State” is not only treacherous but amounts to a hidden agenda by people whose aim might be to scuttle final outcome of the conference.
Part of the letter reads: “This action is at variance with the conference decision of the Committee on Restructuring and Forms of Government. The conference decision as correctly reflected on Page 281 (b) of the draft report was that ‘the third state to be created in the South-South zone will be named later along with its state capital’.
“This inclusion is a slight of hand, unholy and completely unacceptable to us as there was no prior discussion with Akwa Ibom State and her delegates on the matter.”
The group said, although it supports the creation of more states where deserving, the process should be in consultation with all relevant stakeholders.
“As the true representatives of our state and people at this conference, we have been mandated to reject totally and disassociate ourselves and our state completely from this provision. We assert that no part of Akwa Ibom State should be excised to form a new state,” the letter further reads.
Meanwhile, the National Conference convened by President Goodluck Jonathan, which started on March 17, came to an end yesterday morning.
There has been disquiet towards the end of the talk shop over the purported draft constitution that some delegates alleged was the making of few delegates, hence did not represent the overall opinion and interest of the conference.
However, the series of meetings the Conference Chairman, Idris Kutigi held with zonal leaders on Wednesday came to the rescue as delegates agreed on a position on the controversial draft constitution.

L-R: Chairman, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Rivers Council, Mr Chika Onuegbu, National President, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Mr Bobboi Kaigama and former Chairman,TUC, Rivers Council, Mr Jack Alaso, at a seminar on Entrepreneurship Development and Pre-retirement in Port Harcourt, yesterday