From Ahmad SAKA, Bauchi
Bauchi state government on Monday says it has taken the necessary measures and steps to enable it benefit maximally from oil discovery in Alkaleri local government area of the state.
Governor Bala Mohammed of the state made this known while addressing journalists on his 2-day engagement with stakeholders of Alkaleri local government as part of his ongoing community engagement.
The governor unveiled plans by his administration to establish a Skill Acquisition Center in order to provide the needed manpower for oil exploration in Alkaleri oil site of the state.
He expressed optimism that, Bauchi would be the future of Nigeria because of the discovery of oil, gas and other mineral resources abound in the Alkaleri and other parts of the state.
“The issue of discovery of oil in Alkaleri is good development not only to Alkaleri, northern Nigeria but Nigeria as a whole, and definitely this discovery is an opportunity for everybody.
“And as a Government, we are planning to establish a Skill Acquisition Center to ensure effective engagement of our youth in oil activities to reduce unemployment.”
He therefore urged stakeholders notably traditional rulers in Alkaleri oil site to eschew personal interest for proper utilization of the opportunity by not supporting people with questionable character to engage in criminal activities in the area.
On his 2-day engagement with key stakeholders in Alkaleri local government, Govenor Bala said the community engagement is to afford him the opportunity to brief them on the successes recorded by his administration.
“I am in my local government as part of community engagement that we are doing to foster security and of course communal relationship, inter relationship, and love so that those who identified with us.
“This is a new system of government we are doing, we will not abandoned those who voted for us and we have a lot of burden of gratitude to God and to the people of Alkaleri, Bauchi and Nigeria in general. This 2 day engagement certainly is more than a year engagement.”
On her part, the wife of the governor, Aisha Bala Mohammed assured women in the area that her husband would not relent in coming up with empowerment programmes geared towards improving their living conditions.
