Oil Well Dispute: Wike Slams Ihedioha, Boundary Commission
Nyesom Wike, Rivers State Governor and presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Sunday slammed ex-Imo State governor, Emeka Ihedioha, and the National Boundary Commission over the disputed oil wells.
It would be recalled that the Supreme Court had on Friday partially determined the ownership dispute in 17 oil wells ownership in favour of the Rivers State government.
Shortly after the apex court ruling, Wike accused Ihedioha of Imo State of abandoning the political arrangement earlier put in place to share revenues from the disputed oil wells.
Two days after, he again accused Ihedioha of stabbing the people of Rivers State despite supporting him to become Imo governor.
Wike recalled that in 1999 the people of Rivers and Imo State were living peacefully and former governors Peter Odili and Achike Udenwa pointed the way forward by proffering political solution to the issue of the dispute over oil wells.
According to him, the boundary commission failed to make a proper demarcation of the boundary between the two neighboring states as it relates to the communities where the oil wells situate.
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, speaks during Rivers State Government’s thanksgiving service in Port Harcourt on May 8, 2022, this is even as he alleged that the boundary commission is the most corrupt agency in Nigeria, weakening President Muhammadu Buhari’s efforts in fighting corruption.
“We have lived in peace with our neighbor Imo State. We have never had any problem saying we are fighting. There was a political solution, understanding between Imo State and Rivers State under Peter Odili and Achike Udenwa of Imo State (over) the issue of the dispute of oil wells,” he said during Rivers State Government thanksgiving service in Port Harcourt.
“The National Boundary Commission was not able to make a proper demarcation of a boundary between Rivers State and Imo State and as it relates to the communities where these oil wells situate.
“Unfortunately, the most corrupt agency is the National Boundary Commission. When you hear corruption, corruption is personified in the National Boundary Commission. If Mr. President is fighting corruption, he should leave innocent individuals and go to these agencies where corruption is personified.
“Rivers people supported, spent money supported the former governor, Emeka Ihedioha. I have never seen a betrayal like this all my life. We had sleepless nights to make him Imo State governor. We did everything we could do to think we are supporting a friend, all we got was a stab at the back.”