FG to settle oil wells dispute in November …works on political solution for Anambra, Kogi, Enugu states

by Adelani Adepegba, Emmanuel Obe, Success Nwogu and Ozioma Ubabukoh


President Goodluck Jonathan and Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke

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There are strong indications that the over the ownership of an oil well involving Anambra, Kogi and Enugu states, would be decided by the National Boundary Commission in November, 2012.

It was authoritatively gathered in Abuja on Friday that the Federal Government was weighing a political solution to the dispute.

Already, Kogi State Government has written to the Federal Government soliciting its intervention.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Kogi State Governor, Mr. Jacob Edi, who confirmed this, told Sunday Punch that the state government had written President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Boundary Commission chaired by Vice-President Namadi Sambo, over the ownership of the oil well.

Edi said, "The Kogi State Government has made representations to the National Boundary Commission, which is the only body recognised by the Constitution to adjudicate on a matter of this nature. We have confidence in the NBC.

"The letter to the NBC is a renewal, since the state government had earlier done so sometime in March, both to the President and the Vice-President who is chairman of the commission."

President Goodluck Jonathan's declaration of Anambra as the 10th oil producing state last month during the inauguration of the first oil company in the state, triggered ownership counter claims from Kogi and Enugu states.

But to ease tension in border communities where the oil well is located, the NBC had written to the states involved in the dispute to maintain the status quo, as it prepared to mobilize to the site with the surveyor-generals of the three states, their land bureau officials, as well as their traditional rulers.

Investigations at the commission revealed that interstate boundaries department was working on a proposal that would resolve the ownership tussle.

Our correspondent who visited the agency on Friday gathered that, "The commission would go to the site with the administrative map of Nigeria drawn by the Surveyor-General of the Federation, GPS (Global Position System equipment), which would be fed with coordinates that may help to end the controversy of ownership of the oil well between states.

"The inter-state boundaries department is working on a proposal, which would be submitted to the DG of the commission soon. The NBC has also written to the states to maintain the status quo pending the resolution of the tussle; by first week of November, all the contending parties would be mobilized to the site where the GPS and other instruments would be used to determine the owner of the oil well."

On why the Commission holds the ace in resolving the impasse, a Presidency official said it would be a waste of time and resources for any state to head for the court as such cases in the past were referred to the NBC for advice.

"Bayelsa and Rivers states went to court over a boundary dispute, but they were referred to NBC," he stated.

On the controversy, the Chairman of Orient Petroleum Resources Limited, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, said the dispute was unnecessary.

"The map of Nigeria squarely places the oil well as at today in Anambra State," he said.

Anyaoku, a former Commonwealth Secretary-General, however, said the company was also working on oil wells found in Kogi State, which it would begin to drill once the well matures.

According to him, ownership of oil wells has long been settled between the company and the communities in Enugu, Kogi and Anambra where it is prospecting for oil.

He explained that the company's licence covers prospecting for oil in Anambra, Kogi, Enugu, Delta and Edo states.

But Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Chukwudi Achife, told one of our correspondents that, "It's easy to resolve the matter, since the oil wells are situated in certain communities which fall into specific states.

"In the case of Enugu, the oil fields are in Iggar and Ojjor communities in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, unless anyone can prove that those communities are in any other states."

He claimed that Orient Petroleum had held talks with the Enugu State Government over the oil wells in those communities.

Our correspondent gathered that the dispute may, however, linger if the states spurned an NBC solution to the dispute.

Sambo, who chairs the commission, it was learnt, may persuade the feuding states to treat the oil well as 'a joint resource'.

Boundary disputes between the three states had earlier been defined on the administrative map, but the discovery of oil aggravated it, it was also gathered.

Earlier, Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State had disclosed that his administration had invested over N4bn in the venture and that the oil field is rightly located in Anambra State.

He had said, "Under my government, with the vision and belief of positive impact of the project on the economy of the state and country, we invested N4.4bn in the project, which bolstered the confidence of other investors to invest in the venture that made the commissioning a reality.

"It is pertinent to note that, till date, neither the groups nor states laying claims to the oil fields have directly or indirectly invested a kobo in the project, while Anambra State has invested several billions."

But his Kogi State counterpart, Idris Wada, fired back, stressing, "make no mistakes about it; the oil in question belongs to Kogi. For purposes of emphasis, the oil is found in Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State."

A former Appeal Court Judge, Justice Mamman Nasir had headed a National Boundary Adjustment Commission in 1976, which tried to address states boundary disputes in the country.

Despite the refinery and some of the oil deposits being in Anambra state, any oil extracted from Kogi land or from Enugu state should be credited to those states. This means we will have 13 oil-producing states soon, whereby each state is rewarded according to their oil output

This is what goes on in Abia and Imo and Ondo and Edo where oil piped from those places are taken to Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa for processing or export.

Anambra should intensify efforts to find more oil wells in areas that has no boundary disputes

I am sure Anambra and Enugu will be sitting on even more oil deposits

Before more harm is done (such as by Boko Haram-type bombing and destruction) I suggest that Anambra (Orient petroleum Limited) should relocate its oil tank farms built in rented Kogi soil to Anambra soil. Igbos never learn.

Oh I forgot, Cross River State is no longer an O-PS; so we will be having 12, rather than 13, O-PSs.

politics is alwayz our problem what is boundary readjustment for heavens sake now look @ its consequence. Most of Nigerias problems are man made, may God neva 4giv anybody directly or indirectly planing mischief in Nigeria.

they better not redraw state maps because of oil

They should simply share the oil with Anambra getting the highest.

[quote author=Germannig]Despite the refinery and some of the oil deposits being in Anambra state, any oil extracted from Kogi land or from Enugu state should be credited to those states. This means we will have 13 oil-producing states soon, whereby each state is rewarded according to their oil output

This is what goes on in Abia and Imo and Ondo and Edo where oil piped from those places are taken to Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa for processing or export.

Anambra should intensify efforts to find more oil wells in areas that has no boundary disputes

I am sure Anambra and Enugu will be sitting on even more oil deposits

Anambra (Orient petroleum Limited) should relocate its oil tank farms built in rented Kogi soil to Anambra soil. Igbos never learn.[/quo



Ofcourse,if any oil is drilled in enugu and kogi they will be duelly compensated. Emeka Anyaoku is a man of integrity and will not attempt to spoil his good name over a sensitive issue like this. The wells in enugu will not be enough to declare them an oil producing state. The truth about this issue is that there is oil in enugu and kogi states but its not in commercial quantity. 90% of this oil lie dominantly in Anambra with little overflows into enugu and kogi state. Basiclly,enugu and kogi couldnt have brought in an oil company to drill in there dormain because their crude isnt in commercial quantity. The only reason why this ppl are making noise is because of the large deposits in Anambra. They will get their compensation if Orient drill in their lands but they must humble themselves and thank Anambra whose hardwork,doggedness and wisdom brought this to reality.

[quote author=Germannig]Despite the refinery and some of the oil deposits being in Anambra state, any oil extracted from Kogi land or from Enugu state should be credited to those states. This means we will have 13 oil-producing states soon, whereby each state is rewarded according to their oil output

This is what goes on in Abia and Imo and Ondo and Edo where oil piped from those places are taken to Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa for processing or export.

Anambra should intensify efforts to find more oil wells in areas that has no boundary disputes

I am sure Anambra and Enugu will be sitting on even more oil deposits

Anambra (Orient petroleum Limited) should relocate its oil tank farms built in rented Kogi soil to Anambra soil. Igbos never learn.[/quo






Ofcourse,if any oil is drilled in enugu and kogi they will be duelly compensated. Emeka Anyaoku is a man of integrity in will not attempt to spoil his good name over a sensitive issue like this. The wells in enugu will not be enough to declare them an oil producing state. The truth about this issue is that there is oil in enugu and kogi states but its not in commercial quantity. 90% of this oil lie dominantly in Anambra with little overflows into enugu and kogi state. Basiclly,enugu and kogi couldnt have brought in an oil company to drill in there dormain because their crude isnt in commercial quantity. The only reason why this ppl are making noise is because of the large deposits in Anambra. They will get their compensation if Orient drill in their lands but they must humble themselves and thank Anambra whose hardwork,doggedness and wisdom brought this to reality.

bashr8: they better not redraw state maps because of oil

Do you know who the head of the National Boundary Commission is?

[quote author=Odenigbo Aroli][/quote]



Right on point, Kogi and enugu state do not have enough oil to be declared an oil producing state just like Anambra. They could be given their pea-nut whenever they humble themselve and get Orient to explore their small un-commercial oil deposits. Period