OIL DEPOSIT IN KOGI STATE
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BEING A PRESENTATION TO AREWA CONSULTATIVE FORUM AT THE AREWA HOUSE, KADUNA ON TUESDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER, 2012
The Chairman Arewa Consultative forum Arewa House, Kaduna
PREAMBLE
The resent event in Kogi State concerning the prospecting of oil in that State is not clear to many who are not familiar with the impending events in our state.
Most of you are aware of the proclamation of Anambra State on the 30th August, 2012 as an oil producing state. What many people are not aware of is that the, oil which actually led to the proclamation of Anambra State as an oil producing state is actually from Kogi land, specifically Ibaji local government area of tile state.
As concerned Indigenes of Kogi State and as a responsible association, we deem it necessary and expedient to intimate you with some salient facts regarding the oil deposit in Kogi State.
OIL LOCATION AND PROSPECTING.
Orient Petroleum Resources Plc was granted oil prospecting license OPL 915 and 916 by the Federal Government of Nigeria. By our understanding, the licenses granted Orient Petroleum Resources Plc actually covers part of Anambra, Enugu, Kogi, Edo and Delta State. However to the best of our knowledge the activity of’ the oil company is concentrated in Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State.
It is also on record that the said exploration activities leading to the successful access to the crude oil now were carried out within the following communities in Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State. These communities are: Odeke, Ihile, and Echeno, Anocha, Omabo, Uchuehu, and other communities in the Local Government Area.
As a matter of fact, Orient Petroleum Resources Plc and its workers will attest to the fact they actually rented and stayed in houses within the above communities, and also drilled borehole which services their water needs. These boreholes are still there for all to see.
It is also on record that there are four oil-wells in this location. As we are talking now location one of this oil wells tagged Anambra, River-well 1 is the one where the Orient Petroleum Resources currently lifts crude oil for its refinery at Sugbe near Onitsha in Anambra State. For the avoidance of doubt we wish to state that the location 1 which is being refer to as Anambra River well 1 which Anarnbra State is claiming falls entirely in Odeke land in Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Our respected Elders, we wish to emphasize that at this point- location 1, Kogi State does not share boundary with Anambra State, instead at a distance with Enugu State. For this reason there is no way Anambra State can jump over Enugu State to own location 1 of the oil well in Kogi State.
May we also informed this respectable forum of the fact that they have being actual attempts by the people of Anambra State backed up by their government to encroaching into this part of K6gi land for some times now. This infraction let to the intervention of the national boundary commission which set up the joint field term for Anambra and Kogi interstate boundary.
It is worthy of note that the Joint Field Team produced a provisional report on the Field Tracing and Demarcation of Anambra – Kogi inter State boundary in 2008, the report is the public domain.
Apart from the above report on the Field Tracing and Demarcation, there exists a communique signed by the three respected Royal Father representing the three states namely; Kogi, Enugu and Anambra as at 13th April 1994 which clearly indicated that the area where the oil-wells are located belongs to Kogi State. The three traditional institutions still exists.
Our respected leaders the essence of this presentation is to acquaint you with the salient facts pertaining the oil deposit in Kogi State which is currently being misrepresented by the unfolding events some weeks ago.
As a responsible citizen of our beloved country, we do not believe that violence is the only means of resolving disputes: Accordingly
- We urge you to carefully examine these issues and prevail on Federal Government to declare Kogi State as an oil producing state.
- We appeal to you to kindly use your wisdom and fatherly deposition when it come to national issues of this nature to reach out all well meaning Nigerians and “most importantly our dear President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR to right this wrong which is a product of well calculated deception that is being perpetuated against Kogi State to create unnecessary tension at this time Of our national life.
In addition to the above, we wish to draw your attention to the following projects which we have observed in the recent past to have been deliberately abandoned, but which holds a very strategic key toward addressing the living condition of Nigerians.
These projects includes but not limited to:
1 The complete overhaul and or the resuscitation of the ailing textile industries.
2 Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited, the three seaport located at Baro, in Niger State and in Idah and Lokoja in Kogi State respectively.
3 Bagana Bridge which when completed will reduce the travel time between the North and southern part of the country, linking Kogi, Nasarawa State and FCT Abuja amongst others.
We also wish to add that immediate completion of Abuja- Okene road which is a gate-way between the northern and southern part of Nigeria but which had suffered repetitive award of contract should constitute some of the issues that will engage your attention at this forum as you have always being doing.
Thank you for giving us this unique audience to make our point and ventilate on some national issues.
Yours in the service of the Nation,
Chief (Dr) Umar Aku Goodman FCE Mohammed Nda Abdullahi
Coordinator secretary
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