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Anambra oil producing status throws Senate into rowdy session

Published

6 years ago

April 13, 2018

The Senator representing Enugu North senatorial district, Chukwuka Utazi has sought the intervention of the Senate into ownership status of oil wells which have been the subject of controversy between Enugu, Kogi, and Anambra states.
Speaking through order 43, the lawmaker stated that Anambra state government had used one of its appointees, Prince Emu to grant an interview in a popular newspaper earlier in the week stating that Anambra was an oil producing state.

Utazi reminded the Senate that the federal government has since realised that it was an error for the Jonathan administration to have conferred on Anambra an oil producing state when the ownership of oil wells have not been decided upon.
According to him, “Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, the oil producing status on Anambra state has since been withdrawn.”
The Enugu North lawmaker stated that latest moves by Anambra state was already brewing crisis among communities laying claim to the wells, even as he asked the Senate Committee to wade into the matter.
“We know what we did in the past to restore peace among those warring communities, and election period is around the corner. So, we don’t want any crisis.”
However, Senator Andy Uba, rose in total condemnation of Utazi’s position, disclosing that he contributed to how Anambra became an oil producing state.
He said: “What my colleague, Utazi is saying is not correct. They said any state that produces 120,000bpd is qualified as an oil producing state and that is why Anambra was conferred.”
It took the intervention of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki to calm nerves at the plenary, while he reminded senators that the matter came through order 43 which means it was not open to debate.
He thereafter referred the matter to the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream), demanding that the report be turned-in in two weeks.