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The governor of
Rivers State, Chibuike Amaechi, has said that he supports the lodgment
of revenue accruals from the disputed oil wells between Rivers and Akwa
Ibom into an escrow account.

In a statement
given in Port Harcourt on Thursday, the governor stated he hoped that
revenue accruable to the state would be paid beginning in June. The
Supreme Court recently gave a judgment returning 86 oil wells belonging
to the state, which were previously ceded to Akwa Ibom. In the
statement signed by the acting chief press secretary to the governor,
Blessing Wikina, the governor said lodging the money into an escrow
account would not at all mean denial as the judgment was explicit on
what should be done.

Final judgment

“The Revenue
Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission will have no reason not
to commence payment to the state in line with the judgment of the
Supreme Court on the 86 oil wells from June this year.

“What happened is
that last month, we asked them to put it in an escrow account and they
refused, saying that they had not gotten a copy of the judgment, and
then the federal government finally got a copy of it and served them.

“They have no
reason this month to pay Akwa Ibom, they have to put it in an escrow
account, before the end of the month they should round up, by the grace
of God. So I hope that by June, we will be able to receive this month’s
money, and that of June,” he said.

The governor
expressed the hope that the committee set up by the commission to look
into the judgment of the Supreme Court would do a good job.

NAN