…government of Kogi State failed to buy a N500m share offered her by Orient Petroleum
Late Prince Audu Abubakar, the former Governor of Kogi State, on 18th July 2001 conveyed a letter to the Group Managing Director of NNPC notifying the corporation of discovery of crude oil in Ibaji Local Government Area of the State. Therein the same missive, he requested NNPC to carry out a thorough investigation to determine the extent of the deposit.
This exposition was made on the floor of the Kogi State House of Assembly by member representing Ibaji State constituency, Honourable John Abah.
John Abah, in a motion, called on Kogi state government to expedite action in ensuring the declaration of Kogi State by as an oil producing state by the Federal government of Nigeria.
According to Abah, oil exploration activities commenced in Ibaji as far back as 1952 by Shell BP, now SPDC. ELF (now Total) and AGIP followed this preliminary exploration initiated by the Shell BP and thus, between 1952 and1986, twenty-five (25) exploration wells, two (2) appraisal wells and eight (8) core-wells were drilled in the Anambra Basin which includes some parts of Ibaji. These facts are made possible through a letter to the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, by the former Manager, Drilling (NPDC-NNPC), Engr Sam A. Uchola and dated 21st November 2003.
” Whereas, the nomenclature, ‘Anambra Basin’, is merely a geological term designating a geographical or surveillance area bearing in mind the dominant location of this area for descriptive purpose. The name ‘Anambra’ is derived from the River whose source is from Imabolo River which originated from the centre of Ankpa Town in Ankpa Local Government Area of Kogi State. This River flows east-wards through Olamabolo LGA which is also named after this legendary River.
“This analysis is necessary because contrary to the general perception, Imolobolo or Anambra State is a reference to Anambra River whence name and attribute to Anambra State were so derived.
” Whereas, Orient Petroleum Resources PLC (OPR), having been granted licences – OPL 915 and OPL 916 – by the Federal Government of Nigeria, has fully drilled 4 Oil Wells from its oil exploration activities within Kogi, Edo and Anambra States. These oil wells numbered 1, 2, 3, and 4 were named Anambra River Wells. Evidentially, Wells Nos 3 and 4 are located in Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State. Oil well No 1 which is code-named ‘Anambra River Well 1’ is, however, located in Anambra State of Nigeria. The quantity of crude being lifted, according to the official website of the Orient Petroleum Resources PLC, from these wells, is about 33,000 barrels per day. Apart from this, it is now abundantly obvious that as the company continues the exploration activities in Ibaji and other parts of Kogi State like Alade in Igalamela/Odolu Local Government Area more oil sites are being discovered.
“Whereas, facts established in the dispute between communities around Kogi/Anambra boundary are indicative of faulty arbitrary instruments in the determination of the common boundary between the States; facts are fully established, however, that ethnographical and historical data including gazetteers of names are now final instruments for the determination and demarcation of boundary. Given these instruments, the area in dispute is certainly within Kogi State. The National Boundary Commission needed to remember that a dispute where the inhabitants involved had no input in its resolution will certainly not resolve the dispute. Efforts of the Commission in the resolution of this dispute should, all the same, not go without notice.
Abah revealed that Orient Petroleum Resources Limited made three offers to Kogi State Government when the company arrived on the scene for oil exploration. Orient Petroleum offered that Kogi state government appoint a Liaison to be a link between the government and the company, allocate a land to her to use as her depot and buy a share of at least N500, 000,000 in the company.
“Whereas, even though the State Government has not taken up the shares, the company confirmed in its official website that the Kogi State Government has granted the other two requests of appointment of Liaison Officer and allocation of land. The House may wish to note that when the oil company came to the exploration site, they settled at Echeno in Ibaji. That was the company’s operational base before the hostilities over the boundary began. All these point to the fact that the area in dispute belongs to Kogi State”, he said.
Abah called on Federal Government of Nigeria, given these foregoing facts, to declare Kogi State as an oil producing State in Nigeria.
He also urged Kogi state government to inaugurate the Kogi State Chapter of Oil Producing Host Communities of Nigeria as a matter of urgency.
