Mkpoikana Udoma 24 September 2017, Sweetcrude, Port Harcourt – The All Progressives Congress, APC, has charged the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, to apologise publicly to the people of the State and his predecessor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, for earlier backing the ceding of Soku oil wells belonging to the State to Bayelsa State by former President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan.
Recall that Wike during the week had urged the Surveyor-General of the Federation, Mr. Ebisintei Awudu, to help resolve the boundary dispute between Bayelsa and Rivers State, adding that he believes that the Soku oil wells belonged to the state.
But the party alleged that Wike while he was a Minister, had connived with Jonathan and ceded the said oil wells in Soku from Rivers to the neighbouring Bayelsa state.
A statement by the APC Chairman in the State, Chief Davies Ikanya, said that the confession of Wike vindicates the party’s claim that he (Wike) collaborated with Jonathan to fight Amaechi to a standstill and to economically emasculate Rivers State.
Ikanya also enjoined the Surveyor-General of the Federation to assist and restore back the Soku Oil Wells back to Rivers State not minding what transpired earlier that led to ceding off the wells.
According to the statement, “Sadly, Goodluck Jonathan as President at that period and without Exco authorisation, ceded a part of Rivers State, Soku, to his home state of Bayelsa and Wike to exhibit his poor understanding of the plight of Rivers State and her people appreciated Dr. Jonathan for this heinous and evil act by giving him an award during the Rivers State’s 50 years celebration as a State and according to Wike, the award was ‘for Jonathan’s contribution towards the growth and development of Rivers State.’
“If Wike is serious in demanding for the receding of these oil wells back to Rivers State, let him, Wike start this by withdrawing the unsolicited and unmerited award given to Dr Jonathan after which, he should formally apologise to God, Amaechi and the people of Rivers State for criminally emasculating them economically by this evil act against the State and humanity for us to take him serious.
“The need of Nyesom Wike to apologise to the people of Rivers State stems from the fact that it was the same Wike while as Minister of Education that sent his political group, Grassroot Development Initiative, to harass and disperse the leaders and Traditional Rulers of the Kalabari Kingdom under the auspicious of Kalabari National Forum in their protest march to submit their letter to the Director General, National Boundary Commission, Abuja against this inhumanity act on 29th October, 2012.
“We unequivocally therefore, demand that whatever Administrative maps that has been issued that does 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 the Nembe Kingdom in Bayelsa State is the Santa Barbara River
“It is for this heinous act and evil against Rivers State and her people that we urge Wike to formally apologise to Rivers State and her people.”
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