By Tom Moses

UYO—The paramount ruler of Ibeno Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Owong Effiong Achianga and other stakeholders in the oil bearing local government areas of the state, have dissociated themselves from the proposed Oil Rivers State, saying that such action was not in the best interest of the zone.

Agitations have been on recently for parts of the oil bearing riverine areas of Akwa Ibom State, including Oron, Eket, Onna, Eastern Obolo, Esit Eket and Ibeno Local Government Areas to be joined with parts of Rivers State to form the proposed Oil-Rivers State, but the Paramount Ruler of Ibeno council, Owong Achianga, kicked against the move, warning that under no circumstance should his domain be included in the proposed state with headquarters to be located in Degema, Rivers State.

Achianga, in a statement, explained that his position became necessary in view of the long distance separating the two states from their maritime boundaries.

Calling on the people to reject the proposal, Achianga whose Ibeno community hosts Exxon Mobil, frowned at the move, saying that it would be unthinkable for him to travel eight miles across the sea with the attendant hazards posed to travelers by sea pirates to Rivers State.