By Ben Agande & Jimitota Onoyume
ABUJA — President Goodluck Jonathan has directed the governors of Rivers and Bayelsa states as well as elders and leaders of the host communities involved in the dispute over oil wells to cease media hostilities.

This came on a day Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State  again assured the people of Kalabari that he would stand by them to challenge any move to cede five Kalabari communities to Bayelsa State.

According to the President, escalation of the issue in the media war will not help in the peaceful resolution of the dispute.

The President’s position was conveyed in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati.

According to the President, the media campaign is not only unbecoming, it is also unnecessary and unhelpful to the reconciliation process.

The statement read: “The Presidency has noted with concern the rather unbecoming, unnecessary and unhelpful media war between the Bayelsa and Rivers State Governments over the rightful ownership of some oil wells.

”The Presidency believes that this media war which appears to be escalating with each passing day can only hinder and negate efforts already initiated by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to achieve an amicable resolution of the dispute in the best interest of the affected communities, the two states and the nation.

”President Jonathan, therefore, requests the governors of both states to facilitate and help to create the right atmosphere for the successful conclusion of the peace process by ordering an immediate stoppage of all acrimonious public comments against each other over the dispute.

”Having already had very useful discussions with the Rivers State Governor and Kalabari elders over the weekend, President Jonathan intends to take the process forward at another scheduled meeting at 11 am at the Presidential Villa on Friday, November 9, 2012 with the governors of the two states, leaders of the affected communities and all concerned stakeholders.

”President Jonathan, consequently, urges the two governors and leaders of the affected communities to ensure that no further spiteful or inciting comments are made against each other to pollute the right atmosphere for constructive dialogue and brotherly reconciliation which he is striving to promote for the amicable resolution of the dispute.

”He looks forward to receiving the Rivers and Bayelsa State delegations in Abuja on Friday.”

Amaechi assures Kalabaris

Meanwhile, Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State has  again assured people of Kalabari that he would stand by them to challenge  any move to cede five Kalabari communities to Bayelsa State.

Fielding questions, yesterday, from newsmen at Government House, Port Harcourt, the governor, who said he had decided not to speak on the issue anymore because of a presidential appeal to all parties to stop talking to the media, said the state would stand by its right on the matter.

He said:  “Ï must obey the President; he has asked that we stop talking about the matter.”

The governor said he was surprised that Bayelsa State government was still making claims on the pages of newspapers, noting that  he chose to keep mute as a mark of respect for the President.

Asked if the boundary problem between the state and Bayelsa was not politically driven, the governor said he had no presidential ambition for 2015.

Pleading with the reporter who raised the question to join the state in asking to be told its sin for losing some of its oil wells and the boundary war, Amaechi said he heard some people were saying he would run with Sule Lamido for the Presidency, stressing that he had no such ambition.

The governor said he had not attended any political meeting over the next presidential election in any part of the globe.