From CHRIS ANUCHA, Port Harcourt
President Goodluck Jonathan has been accused of being the brain
behind the boundary adjustment, which ceded some communities in Rivers
State to his state, Bayelsa. The president, through his Special Adviser
on Media, Dr. Rueben Abati, had denied any involvement in the
controversial boundary adjustment.
Speaking during a press conference in Port Harcourt yesterday, after a
protest march, which terminated at the Rivers State Government House,
Mr. Ibim Dokubo said the fundamental shift of the boundary between the
two sister states was masterminded by the president when he was the
deputy governor of Bayelsa State.
According to him, deputy governors handled boundary issues, adding
that, “the problem of boundary adjustment started when the president was
the deputy governor of Bayelsa State; doubled when he became the
governor, tripled when he was vice president and quadrupled, when he
became the president,” he said. He wondered why a boundary between two
sister states could be adjusted without impute from one of them.
Earlier, Kalabari chiefs, sons and daughters, had marched to the
Rivers State Government House, where they presented document containing
their grievances to Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, through his
Deputy, Mr. Tele Ikuru. Before presenting the documents to the deputy
governor, the leader of the protesters, His Royal Highness, Disrael
Bobanuel, Amayanabo of Abonnema, said the boundary between Rivers and
Bayelsa had been in existence for over hundred years.
“Suddenly, we realized that a fictitious map was published between
2000 and 2002. In that map, the boundary was moved from Santa Babara
River to St Bartholomew,” the royal father said. He explained that when
they wanted to agitate, they were told to exercise restraint, as Supreme
Court had assured that the mistake made in the 11th edition of the map
would be rectified in the 12th edition.
According to him, as they were still waiting, they woke up one day
only to discover that over 90 per cent of Kalabari land and resources
had been ceded to Nembe, Bayelsa State. He said: “Kalabari has a
well-defined chieftaincy tradition, dating back to 14th century. We are
not ready to be under Nembe traditional council. We are not ready to
have our brothers, being under Bayelsa, while they are being fed from
Rivers State.
There is no reason for the movement of the boundary, and it is done
illegally. If this is allowed to continue, nobody knows what will happen
next. “We have been pleading with our people; they are becoming restive
and restless.” Responding, the deputy governor commended them for their
peaceful disposition. He said the case of Soku had been giving the
state government concern. According to him, Soku had been part of Rivers
State until the boundary was adjusted.
Ikuru disclosed how N17 billion, accruing to Rivers State, was paid
to Bayelsa State last month. He also alleged how their complaints were
not given attention by the necessary Federal Government agencies. “We
went and they blocked us, eventually, we went to the court, even at the
court, things are tight. “As a matter of fact, we are at crossroads, the
point we are now is to appeal to the National Assembly to see that
Justice is done.
We call on the National Assembly to step into the matter.’’ In his
address, the Amayanabo of Kalabari Kingdom, Prof. T. J. T. Princewill,
described as injurious, malicious and surreptitious plans to excise 80
per cent of the oil and gas bearing communities and settlements in
Akuku-Toru Local Government Area, and making them part of old Brass
Division.
“We make bold that our President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, is very well
acquainted with the facts of this explosive matter, but has allowed it
to fester. Maybe, because his native state is the beneficiary of this
arrogance and outright wickedness, against a people, who solidly stood
by him, more than any other group in the federation, when he
passionately sought help to ascend to the high office of president of
our dear county,” he said.
TheSun
