OML 25: Wike lacks powers to call a stakeholders’ meeting – Host Communities

Belema, Offoin-Ama and Ngeje communities have called on the federal government to caution Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, over his meddling into the OML 25 issues.

The communities in a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, said Wike, lacks the powers to call for a stakeholders’ meeting as that area has been ceded to Bayelsa.

Chief Fiala Okoye-Davies spokesman of the host communities, said Belema and Oko-Ama communities where the OML-25 is situated is in Bayelsa State and not Rivers State.

Davies alleged that Wike was instrumental to the ceding of the area to Bayelsa when he was Minister of State for Education under the administration of Goodluck Jonathan.

According to him: “We, therefore, appeal to the federal government to place a caution on the Governor of Rivers State to religiously obey constitutionality and follow civility in the governance of the people whom he swore an oath to protect not to balkanise our communities and make life a living hell for us.

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“It is worthy to note that Belema and Oko-Ama communities wherein the OML-25 is situated are in Bayelsa State and not Rivers State by the 11th Administrative Map of the Federal Government. This matter is subsisting before the apex court.

“Conclusively, we have reflected that His Excellency when he was the Minister of State for Education was instrumental to the ceding of OML-25 to Bayelsa State. Until that position is reversed, common sense alludes to the fact that OML-25 is in the territory of Bayelsa State and doesn’t require the steer of Rivers State.”

Okoye-Davies said the stakeholders’ meeting by Wike was politically-motivated as key stakeholders in the communities were not invited.

He said the meeting poses a potential threat to the recent peace accord on the resolution of OML-25 dispute by the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari, and Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva.

“It is our view that the so-called meeting today, Tuesday (October 29, 2019) at the office of the Secretary to the Rivers State Government is politically-motivated and a potential threat to the recent peace accord on the resolution of OML-25 dispute by the GMD of NNPC and the Minister of State for Petroleum, at the instance of Mr President.

“The NNPC, which is a major JV partner, and other major stakeholders of OML-25 as well as the legitimate host communities were not consulted or invited by the Rivers State government for the meeting which in our view is illegal and unnecessary.”

Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, the National Publicity Secretary of PANDEF, said the organisation was surprised at the actions of the governor.