Rivers State Governor, Ezenwo
Wike has reacted to the claims made against him by his counterpart in Bayelsa
State, Governor, Seriake Dickson.
Wike, in a statement on Monday signed by Simeon Nwakaudu, his Special Assistant on Electronic
Media, declared that the Soku Oil Wells belong to the Government and People of
Rivers State as the Federal High Court affirmed and based on the admission by
the National Boundary Commission that it erroneously shifted the boundary
between Rivers and Bayelsa States from River Santa Barbara to River Saint
Batholomew in the 11th Edition of the Administrative Map of Nigeria.
Governor Wike described the
allegations made against him by his Bayelsa counterpart as the baseless ranting
of a frustrated politician who is yet to come to terms with his losses.
Wike also alleged that Governor
Seriake Dickson had concluded plans to join the All Progressives Congress, APC,
but was blocked by Timipre Silva and Heineken Lokpobiri, the party leaders in
the state.
“In 2002, the NBC altered the
boundary in the 11th Edition of the Administrative Map of Nigeria. They made a
mistake by shifting the boundary from River Santa Barbara to River St
Batholomew. At the Supreme Court, the NBC wrote a letter a admitting their
error.
“The Supreme Court made an order
for the NBC to correct the error of the 11th Edition in the 12th Edition,” he
said.
Governor Wike said seven years
after the Supreme Court gave the order, the NBC was yet to effect the
correction.
He said that preliminary report
on the 12th Edition indicated that the NBC made no attempt to obey the order of
the Supreme Court.
“We had to sue the NBC to enforce
the order of the Supreme Court, where they were directed to ensure that the
Boundary Between Rivers and Bayelsa State is River Santa Barbara.
“Judgment has been given. The
best the Bayelsa State Governor can do is to go on appeal.
“You cannot cannot heap your
frustration on us. We have nobody to carry guns, so the best place to go is the
court,” he said.
Governor Wike stated that he was
elected by Rivers people to protect their interest. He said there is nothing
personal in the fight for Soku Oil Wells.
“I am protecting what belongs to
Rivers State Ijaw. I am protecting what what belongs to Rivers State.
“The Outgoing Bayelsa State
Governor is the one trying to cause disharmony by attempting to collect what
belongs to the Ijaw in Rivers State.
“Contrary to the allegation by
the Outgoing Bayelsa State Governor, there is no local Government Area in
Rivers State where we don’t have projects. Let him mention the projects he has
in the eight local Government Areas of Bayelsa State. Dickson cannot in all
ramifications compare himself to me in terms of development,” he added.
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