NNPC silent on exploring oil in Anambra, Ebonyi, restarts search in Benue trough
Barely one week after the federal government confirmed Anambra State as oil producing state following the delineation and resting of the controversial contiguous border issues with Kogi State which had been hanging for years, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is yet to begin exploration activities.
Rather, the Corporation is beginning another round of oil search in Benue State having finished work on the Nasarawa State end of the extended Benue trough
Already, NNPC’s exploration team has arrived Benue State to start the search even as the team is expected to acquire seismic data that would guide it in deciding the next stage of the exploratory work in the state.
In his remarks while welcoming the team at the Benue People’s House, Makurdi, earlier in the week, the state’s acting Governor, Mr. Benson Abounu expressed delight that the NNPC is now set to begin the exploratory work in the state, having finished work on the Nasarawa State end of the trough.
He assured the team led by the Group General Manager, Frontier Services, NNPC, Dr. Mazadu Bako, that the state government and the Benue people will do all that is possible to give them the conducive atmosphere within which to operate without hindrance.
The acting state chief executive however, hinted that notwithstanding the security challenges in the state driven by Fulani herdsmen attacks, the state government will not allow anything to hinder the progress of the exploration work.
He therefore announced the setting up of a committee headed by the Secretary to State Government to work together with the team, as well as with the security agencies to ensure a hitch-free operation of the exploratory work.
Search for oil in both Chad Basin and Benue trough suddenly resurrected immediately the present administration was sworn into power.
President Muhammadu Buhari had consistently denied any form political undertones on the renewed oil search in both Chad Basin and the Benue trough, but industry pundits query government’s rationale in searching for oil in the north when a number of commercially viable oil wells scattered in both South East and Niger Delta are yet to be explored.
Business Hilights Intelligence Unit (BHIU) gathered that whereas over 40 oil wells still lie fallow and unexplored in parts of South South, those in Anambra and Ebonyi States are overgrown by weeds.
