Bauchi, Gombe communities want oil exploration to commence in Gongola Basin

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Maryam Sulaiman
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Bauchi  Gov’t takes steps to benefit maximally from oil discovery Story from Ahmad SAKA, Bauchi  The Bauchi State Government says it has taken the necessary measures and steps to enable it to benefit maximally from oil discovery in the Alkaleri local government area of the state. Governor Bala Mohammed of the state made this known on Monday 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 skills acquisition centre in order to provide the needed manpower for oil exploration in the 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 in Alkaleri and other parts of the state. "The issue of discovery of oil in Alkaleri is a 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 centre to ensure effective engagement of our youths in oil activities to reduce unemployment." He, therefore, urged stakeholders notably traditional rulers in the 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, Governor 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 we are doing to foster security and of course communal relationship, interrelationship, and love to those who identified with us. "This is a new system of government we are doing, we will not abandon 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", the Governor said. 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.

Bauchi, Gombe communities want Nigerian Gov’t to begin oil exploration in North

Story from Ahmad SAKA, Bauchi

The communities of Bauchi and Gombe states have appealed to the Federal Government and President Muhammadu Buhari, in-person to mount pressure on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), to commence oil and gas exploration in Bauchi and Gombe states and the entire Gongola Basin.

The Chairman of Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State, Yusuf Garba Alkaleri and Barrister Abdulahi Mohammed Inuwa from Gombe State made the call separately when they interacted with reporters in Bauchi.

READ ALSO: Senate rejects motion to declare Bauchi oil-producing state

Yusuf who is the Bauchi State Chairman of Associations of Local Government Chairmen said that oil and gas exploration in the area would trigger economic activities and create jobs for the states in the region.

He said, “With the discovery of oil and gas in Bauchi state and in the whole of Gongola Basin, we are grateful to God, to President Muhammadu Buhari and to Bauchi State Governor  for their support to ensure the discovery of oil in our areas and not only discovery, but we also seek to get the support of the federal government so that pressure will be mounted on the Nigerian National Petroleum cooperation (NNPC) to see to the fact that the exploration of the oil and gas deposit that is available in Bauchi and in fact the wider Gongola Basin is encouraged so that economic activities will be triggered, our people will have jobs and the Bauchi will join the league of oil-producing states.”

Yusuf said that even though the government work has certain procedures but it will be good if they hasten the exploration since oil was discovered in commercial quantity “we need to start selling the oil to boost economic activities and create more employment opportunities to our youths”.

He commended the NNPC for the payment of compensation to the people whose farms and plots of land were affected during the searching of oil blocks in the area.

“We are grateful to the Bauchi Governor who create a conducive atmosphere by citing schools, hospitals and other social amenities needed for the smooth takeoff of the oil business in the area”, Yusuf said.

On his part, Barrister Abdullahi Mohammed Inuwa said “three oil blocks were discovered in the area, we need President Buhari and the Federal Government to build even small modular refineries and start digging the oil in the market in order to boost economic activities.

Two weeks ago in Maiduguri, President Muhammadu Buhari said the newly discovered oil in Bauchi and Gombe states will help balance the “politics of oil” across the country.

“Now oil has almost become irrelevant, but we thank God that oil is now discovered in Bauchi and Gombe and that will help to balance the politics of oil in the country”, the President said.

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