Bayelsa Monarch urges FG to urgently demarcate disputed land

Bayelsa Monarch urges FG to urgently demarcate disputed land

The paramount ruler of Oluasiri in Nembe LGA of Bayelsa, HRH, King Iyeritei Awululu has urged the federal government to embark on immediate boundary demarcation in the disputed oil rich Soku enclave between Bayelsa and Rivers. Awululu in an interview in Yenagoa on Wednesday said the call became imperative in order to avert possible bloodshed between the two sister states. He described as misplaced claims by the Kalabari National Forum that Bayelsa Government was planning to annex five oil rich communities in Kalabari Kingdom in Rivers State. 

King Awululu said the Soku Gas Plant which is in contention is on Oluasiri territory in Nembe council area and not on Kalabiri land as being claimed by the Rivers people. According to him, “Oluasiri is the 13th ward in Nembe council area and have boundary with Odua, Abua and Akuku-Toru. The Soku Gas Plant is at the centre of Oluasiri land.

The place is far from Soku and it is a minimum of 22 minutes drive on the fastest speed boat.”   He said the instrument that created the Nembe district council in the then Eastern region was in 1955/56 while the instrument creating Kalabari district was in 1960/61. “If you look at the instrument creating the Kalabari district council in the then Eastern Region, you will not see Elemsangama in it but you will see Orusangama,” he remarked.

 Awululu noted that the people of Bille have also cautioned the Kalabaris on this matter, adding that Mr. President should not be dragged into the matter which had been on ground long before he even delved into politics. Also in a statement on Wednesday, the Bayelsa government said it has sufficiently made its stand known on the matter and is duly backed up by law. Governor Seriake Dickson through his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson said the law as it is known deals with facts and concrete evidence. 

On the issue of ownership and the claim by the Rivers State government to Soku Oil wells, he said, “I believe it is no longer news that Rivers State Government took Bayelsa State Government to the Federal High Court on this same issue and lost. “Instead of appealing the matter in the Appeal Court, the Rivers State Government invoked the constitutional provision and filed a suit in the Supreme Court in 2011 and this year the Supreme Court upheld Bayelsa State’s position.“I do not think we should dissipate unnecessary energy over what has already been established as incontrovertible fact. “Besides, we live in a country governed by laws and there are recognised institutions where people can go to seek redress, when they are in doubt. “We should not belabour the issue any further.

As far as this issue is concerned, I believe the facts speak for itself.” recalled that the Kalabari National Forum had Monday in Abuja  protested alleged surreptitious moves by some federal government officials to excise five oil producing Kalabari communities of Rivers and give them to Bayelsa for political reasons.