L-R, Rivers Deputy Governor, Tele Ikuru and Rivers Governor Rotimi Amaechi
Complaining bitterly of bias and injustice, the Rivers Government on Wednesday withdrew its participation from the Inter-state Boundary Delineation meeting.
The parley was initiated to resolve the lingering dispute over the Soku/Oluasiri oil well boundary.
Rivers Deputy Governor, Tele Ikuru, who led the state delegation to the roundtable in Yenagoa announced his state’s pullout.
According to him, “In the interest of peace, fairness, equity and justice, the Rivers State Government resorted to the courts.”
He regretted that National Boundary Commission (NBC), which has the responsibility to determine the outcome of the disputed boundary was being influenced.
Ikuru alleged that “presently, Bayelsa state is unilaterally enjoying the full benefits of all revenue accruing from Soku oil fields, which is in dispute, even while the NBC was still handling the delineation exercise.”
He further recalled that the two states in 2007, had an agreement that the revenue from the Soku field be kept in an escrow account pending the determination of the boundaries by the NBC.
Reacting to the development, Bayelsa Deputy Governor Rear Admiral John Jonah (rtd), expressed displeasure over Rivers’ action.
“We are seated here today to ensure that conflict is settled. It is an alternative dispute resolution mechanism. It makes things easier.”
The Director-General of NBC, Dr. Muhammad Ahmad, in his remark, lamented the decision of Rivers Government, adding that President Goodluck Jonathan had mandated the commission to resolve the lingering issue in compliance with the Supreme Court’s ruling.
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