Senate Halts Move To Recognize Kogi As Oil-Producing State

The Senate has  opposed a motion   to  recognise  Kogi State as an oil-producing state.

During a plenary session on  Wednesday, the  lawmaker representing Kogi East Senatorial District, Senator Isaac Alfa, moved the motion titled, ‘Need to Recognise Kogi State as an Oil-Producing State’.

Alfa  said   Shell BP (now SPDC), Elf (now Total Fina Elf) and Agip Energy commenced oil exploration  in   1952  in Odeke, Echeno, Ihile, Anocha/Uchuchu, Omabo, Ikah, Iregwu and Ujeh, all in Ibaji of the present day Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State.

He  recalled that the companies collectively drilled 25 exploration wells, two appraisal wells and eight core drill wells in  Anambra Basin, with    the majority of the wells in Kogi State.

He said, “These facts were made possible through a letter to the President by the former Manager, Drilling, NPDC-NNPC,  Sam A. Uchola, on  November 21, 2003.”

Alfa said oil  exploration  in Kogi was abandoned until July 18, 2001 when a former governor of the state, Abubakar Audu, wrote to then-Group Managing Director of  the NNPC to remind him of the discovery of crude oil at Odeke, Echeno and Anocha.

The senator said, “Orient Petroleum Resources Plc has been taking crude oil from OPL 915 since 2012 and the percentage of crude oil in the OPL 915 among the three contesting states is  Kogi, 53 per cent; Anambra, 23 per cent; Enugu, 17 per cent; and Edo, seven per cent.

“The Senate regrets that there has been no drilling activity from the OPL 916, which jointly belongs to Kogi, Anambra and Delta states, while Orient Petroleum has fully drilled four oil wells at OPL 915 – Wells 1, 2, 3 and 4,  with Wells 3 and 4 incontrovertibly located in Ibaji in Kogi State, accounting for 53 per cent of the crude oil.”

Considering the motion, the lawmakers overwhelmingly opposed the prayer calling  on the Senate to urge the Federal Government to declare Kogi as oil-producing state “with all the benefits and privileges”.

However, the legislators  unanimously approved the prayer  urging  Kogi, Anambra and Enugu states to resolve their border  disputes.

They also  urged  the FG to direct the National Boundary Commission “to immediately release its report on the determination of the boundaries of the communities contiguous to OPLs 915 and 916”.

Also granted was the prayer urging the people of Ibaji, Igga and Aguleri communities in  Kogi, Enugu and Anambra states, to “sheathe their swords and allow peace to reign while the National Boundary Commission delineates the correct boundaries”.

Senator Chukwuka Utazi recalled that  some  lawmakers had sponsored a similar motion.

Senator Magnus Abe stated that the Senate had no power to declare any state  an oil-producing state, citing Section 162 of the constitution.

Abe said, “In this entire motion, my colleague has failed to tell the people how much has been paid into the federation account from Kogi State that will entitle them to 13 per cent (derivation benefit). Without that, a declaration by the Senate won’t entitle them to anything.

“There is a big  difference between oil-producing and oil-processing. They may be an oil-processing state but they have not contributed to the revenue of this country from oil. When they do that, they will become an oil-producing state.”