“Curse Of Oil” – Two Northern States Fight Over The Newly Discovered Oil Well

There is a crisis over the ownership of the newly discovered oil well in the Northern part of Nigeria. The states of Bauchi and Gombe are dagger-drawn over the new oil wells.

Both officials and residents of the two states are accusing each other of attempts to appropriate the site of the oil wells said to contain about one billion barrels of crude oil reserves and 500 billion standard cubic feet of gas.

There is a crisis over the ownership of the newly discovered oil well in the Northern part of Nigeria. The states of Bauchi and Gombe are dagger-drawn over the new oil wells. Both officials and residents of the two states are accusing each other of attempts to appropriate the site of the oil wells said to contain about one billion barrels of crude oil reserves and 500 billion standard cubic feet of gas.

The trouble comes two weeks after President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated oil exploration at the Kolmani oil field by the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited and its JV partners. Kolmani is in the North-East and reportedly has oil in commercial quantities and has oil prospecting licenses 809 and 810 which cut across Kolmani one to five.

Buhari said at the event that the project had received over $3 billion in investment so far. The President said both states committed to corporating with each other and among their localities.

The Punch reports that Special Adviser to Gombe State governor on Information Management and Strategy, Ahmed Gara-Gombe, said the boundary commission is to blame for the crisis.

He said the Kolmani oil well is situated in Gombe State, in Akko Local Government. Pindiga Emirate Tai district Kaltanga Mamuda ward, insisting it has nothing to with Bauchi State or the Alkaleri Local Government, as being speculated.

He stated, “The truth is that the Kolmani oil well is in Gombe State; Akko Local Government, Pindiga emirate, Tai district, Kaltanga Mamuda ward. It has nothing to do with Bauchi State or Alkaleri Local Government.

He said the solution is to give the oil well to Gombe State and let Bauchi explore oil on its own. Gara-Gombe said:

He noted, ‘’Again, we need an independent jury to determine and verify our claims. Our people whose land was dubiously taken in the name of the access road and were paid between N64,000 to N117,000 as compensation by the NNPC must be paid appropriately.

“NNPC must go to the Gombe side and construct a road as they did on the Bauchi side. Besides, Pindiga (Gombe) to Kolmani is shorter and familiar terrain than the Bauchi (side) which is longer and unfriendly terrain.’’

Edujandon.com reported that on Friday, December 2, 2022, the presidency released a total of N625.43 billion as 13 per cent oil derivations, subsidy and SURE-P refunds from the federation account between 2021 and 2022.

A statement by the senior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu, disclosed this on Friday. Shehu said N1.1 trillion remains unpaid to the states. He named Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers states.

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