Thu. May 9th, 2024

There is a crisis between two Northern states over the recently discovered oil wells in Kolmani. Bauchi and Gombe states are laying claims to the oil well, with both sides accusing the boundary commission of the confusion.
The Gombe State government said the site of the oil well, Kolmani is in the Akko Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
Both officials and residents of the two states Bauchi and Gombe, 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 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.’’

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