It is all about 2015, Rivers State Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi said yesterday in Port Harcourt.
“There is rumour that they are emasculating me because of 2015. It is unfortunate. It is a non-issue,” Amaechi said at a press conference.
He added: “For now, I have no plan for 2015. I was shocked to hear of Lamido/Amaechi 2015 campaign, with branded vehicles in the North and many people are panicky.
“I am exhausted. I have not attended any 2015 meeting. If they are taking Rivers oil wells because of 2015, they should leave us alone.”
Amaechi said President Goodluck Jonathan had ordered a ceasefire in the dispute. But, according to the governor, Rivers has just lost 46 oil wells to Abia State.
This is besides the ceding of five of Rivers oil wells in Soku to Bayelsa State.
It would have been worst, said the governor, but for last Monday’s protest in Abuja by Kalabari leaders from Akuku-Toru, Asari-Toru and Degema local government areas. About 71 oil wells in Abonnema, Akuku-Toru council areas would have also been ceded to Bayelsa State that day, Amaechi said.
The Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) said President Jonathan called and directed him and his officials to stop speaking with journalists on the boundary dispute and oil wells. The same message was to be passed to Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, to ensure peace, according to Amaechi.
It was gathered that both governors have been invited to the villa in Abuja by the President on Friday.The Abuja protest was followed by a massive protest and news conference in Port Harcourt, with the Kalabari declaring that the move to cede their communities, oil wells and Soku Gas Plant to Bayelsa would be vehemently resisted.
Amaechi said: “46 oil wells belonging to Rivers State have just been given to Abia State. Soku is a Kalabari town in Rivers State. Mr. President directed this (yesterday) morning that we should stop addressing the press on the oil wells’ dispute with Bayelsa, if not for the journalist’s question on the issue.
“Seventy one oil wells in Abonnema (headquarters of Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State), would have been given to Bayelsa State on the same Monday the Kalabari people went to Abuja to protest. They were not sponsored. They protested on their own. The boundary between Degema and Brass is not in dispute.
“If I am not the NGF chairman, I would have known what to say. As a people (Rivers) with one destiny, we will fight for our rights. Rivers people are happy with President Jonathan.”
Amaechi said the state government had no information on the disputed oil wells, adding that lawyers and stakeholders from the communities supplied the information.
President Jonathan is to meet next week in Abuja with stakeholders from Rivers and Bayelsa states on the boundary dispute and oil wells.
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