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Hon. Anabraba
representing Akuku Toru Constituency
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Kalabari National Forum, yesterday, protested alleged moves to excise 5
oil producing Kalabari communities of Rivers States to Bayelsa and urged
President Goodluck Jonathan to stop those behind the move in the interest of
peace.
Addressing
journalists after submitting petitions to the National Boundary Commission,
NBC, and the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission,
RMAFC, in Abuja, the Forum alleged surreptitious moves by some federal
government officials to take away the affected communities from Rivers State
and give them to Bayelsa State for political reasons.
Communities in dispute
The
very rich oil communities in dispute are Kula, Soku, Elem-Sangama, Idama and
Abissa. The communities which host the Soku Oil Fields/Oil Wells produce about
300, 000 barrels of crude oil per day, making them one of the richest areas in
the Niger Delta.
Reasons
Chairman
of Akukutoru Local Government Area Traditional Council of Rivers State, Mr.
Emmanuel Awoyesuau-Jack, who spoke for the forum, said the protests became
necessary because of the unwillingness of federal government functionaries to
ensure justice in the matter which had been before relevant federal government
agencies for several years.
The
agencies involved included the Office of the Suveyor-General of the Federation,
the NBC, RMAFC and the Supreme Court.
He
added that from available information, the correction to the 11th edition of
the Nigerian Administrative Map which gave the communities to Bayelsa, might
not be effected in the 12th edition of the map being expected without President
Jonathan’s intervention.
Provocation
Awoyesuau-Jack
said: “The self-explanatory effort was perceived to assuage the initial
provocation of Rivers State Government. While the government patiently
awaited the promised correction of the error laden 11th edition of the
Administrative map of Nigeria, which ordinarily should have redressed the
acknowledged fundamental misrepresentations, the RMAFC surreptitiously released
all revenue accruing from Soku Fields and Wells, previously kept in an Escrow
Account, to Bayelsa State without recourse to Rivers State.
“In
spite of every meaningful effort by Rivers State Government to seek justice in
this extremely provocative matter, no progress from the NBC has been made to
date. It was however, rumoured that, the assurances given
disappointingly, will not reflect the promised correction but rather the
provisional 12th Administrative Map said to be under production will nakedly
usurp 80 per cent of Akuku Toru LGA in Rivers State by further shifting the
boundary line from SAN BARTHOLOMEW River SOMBEREIRO River.
“Let
us, in the light of the above, state without mincing words, as inhabitants of
the area under reference, that this position is totally unacceptable as it is a
clear manifestation of political manipulation intent on balkanizing Kalabari
territory and ceding same to Bayelsa State.
“This
premeditated and strategically executed action is intended to sustain and
legitimize the injustice and brazen act of aggression meted out to the Kalabari
Kingdom and Rivers State, with the connivance of various federal government
agencies, under the watchful eyes and supervision of His Excellency, Mr.
President, whose home state, most ingloriously, is the direct beneficiary”.
The
group warned that the matter could shatter the peace in the area if President
Jonathan failed to intervene and ensure that officials concerned did the right
thing.
“This
matter we must say, is explosively provocative and has far reaching security
implications. Let us also state, in the strongest terms, that our resolve
to remain one indivisible Kalabari people with our kith and kin in the old
Degema Division in the present Rivers State is unshakable and inalienable.
“We,
therefore, unequivocally, demand that whatever administrative maps that had
been issued that do not reflect the 10th Edition of the Administrative Map of
Nigeria as it affects us, be withdrawn forthwith and status quo maintained as
our known historical boundary with Nembe Kingdom in Bayelsa State is the Santa
Barbara River,” the spokesman added.
Former
Minister of Tourism, Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas, who also later joined the
briefing, urged President Jonathan to halt the interests working to upset the
stability of the region.
According
to him, “the communities in question belong to Rivers State. For someone
to stand up one day and change that or say they now belong to Bayelsa State is
unacceptable. The President should ensure that the status quo is
maintained.”
Sources: The Vanguard News
From the Photo the REP of Kalabari really Showing his commitment to the Fight for those 5 Cities...
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