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.
On the controversial Rivers State Contributory Social Services Levy (CSSL), which workers have been complaining about, Amaechi, who earlier yesterday met with the civil servants at the State Secretariat Complex, said he had ordered the stoppage of deduction from their pay.
He expressed displeasure that the deductions were made before Christmas, without considering the hardship the workers would face.
The governor said allocations of Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor and Ikwerre local governments areas had been seized in the last two months over their refusal not to ensure a clean environment, especially for being unable to curtail the dirt from auto mechanics.
As soon as the mechanics’ workshops and the local government areas are kept clean, he would direct the release of the allocations, said the governor.
According to him, the action is to ensure a clean Rivers state, especially the state capital and its environs .
Amaechi said the government, next month, would obtain a N100 billion bond, to fund the 2013 budget.
But, he promised not to leave any debt for his successor.
The governor stated that the monorail project, for now, would be from the old Port Harcourt Township, popularly called Town, to Waterlines Bus Stop on Port Harcourt-Aba Expressway, which he described as economically viable.
The dualisation of the Garrison-Trans-Amadi Road in Port Harcourt has been awarded for N47 billion. Ada-George Road and the road off Peter Odili Road, which is to link Ogoni axis and Aba Road were his priority road projects.
The NGF chairman said Port Harcourt roads were being rehabilitated and would later have asphalt overlay to last for 15 years, with the reconstruction beginning immediately after the rains.
Amaechi noted that he targeted the construction of 750 model primary schools, but he decided to slow down a bit to furnish the completed 250 model primary schools. New ones would be storey buildings because of land constraint.
He assured that three of the model secondary schools in Eleme, Etche and Saakpenwa would soon be admitting students. The foreign teachers have arrived, with the local teachers being hired. He said schools would be completely free.
On power, the NGF chairman assured that the promise of uninterrupted electricity supply in Rivers State next month would be fulfilled, stressing that his administration was having challenges with the Power Holding of Nigeria (PHCN), which did not allow the state government to hook up to its system.
The governor said there had been improvement in the security situation in Rivers State, with no successful robbery in Port Harcourt in the last two months.
He, however, admitted that there had been security challenges outside the state capital, especially kidnapping.
Many policemen have been sent to Omoku, headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area.
SOURCE: 6 November 2012.
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