Amaechi lied about Soku oil wells –Bayelsa

Bayelsa State Government has accused the Rivers
State Governor Rotimi Amaechi of being economical
with the truth about the ownership of Soku oil wells.
Amaechi had at several fora claimed that President
Goodluck Jonathan used his position to secure the
oil wells for his home state, Bayelsa State.

But Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State
faulted Amaechi, saying he was only using the oil
wells issue to blackmail President Goodluck
Jonathan.
He warned that the oil wells should not be used to
incite the Kalabaris in Rivers State against their
Nembe kinsmen in Bayelsa.
Dickson’s position was contained in a statement
signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel
Iworiso-Markson, on Wednesday.
Dickson added that the conflict on Soku had been
settled by the Supreme Court, the National
Boundary Commission and different presidential
committees.
He said, “The crux of the matter is whether the said
oil wells which bear the name given by Shell are
within Bayelsa or Rivers states according to the
administrative map of Nigeria and other instruments
for purposes of derivation.
“Incidentally, Soku village in Rivers State is about
10km, as the crow flies from the flow station while
the Oluasiri / Soku oil wells/ field is completely
surrounded by various Oluasiri communities such
as Etukekiri, Ijawkiri, Fredkiri, Adokonikiri etc all in
Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.”
He argued that Amaechi was aware that Soku was
merely a name adopted by Shell, being its nearest
operations base at the time, and not necessarily the
location of the oil wells.
He quoted chapter three of a report of the Revenue
Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission dated
August 2006, saying, “The Bayelsa/Imo/Abia state
Governments complained that the naming of oil
fields was often done arbitrarily without any regard
to the culture and particular environment of the
people where the wells or fields are located. This
has given rise to wrong attribution by relevant
agencies.”
He referred Amaechi to a report of the General
Mamman – Committee on the Soku oil field, which,
according to him, recommended that the production
from Soku Oil Field be attributed to Bayelsa State.