Abandoned search for Oil and Gas in Bauchi State traced its roots way back 20 years ago when the General Sani Abacha regime expended so much money to ensure the availability of the products and for more revenue generation to the nation but was later put to rest with his demise in 1998. Exploration exercise was restored by the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. LEADERSHIP Newspapers Special Correspondent, SANI MUH’D SANI was there.
It’s a culmination of a dream that commenced over 20 years ago.
The area set aside for the oil and gas exploration searching crew operating in the Gongola Basin of the Benue turf is billed to acquire 435 square kilometers 3d in sub surface areas and over 600 kilometers in the surface areas that is expected to be completed in June this year. Oil and Gas discovery could be traced to the era of former Nigerian head of state, General Sani Abacha’s regime in mid 1990’s when the federal government initiated a France based exploration company (CGG) to explore the product. They later discovered it in commercial quantity, contract for the construction of the three oil wells was awarded. The three wells are Kurmanu river 1, constructed in Futuk town under Alkaleri local government, the second is Kurmanu river 2, constructed in Barumbu in Kirfi, Kirfi local government, the third one is Kurmanu river 3, constructed in Kwaimawa village just beside the famous tourists hub of the Yankari Games reserve.
Work started in earnest but was dismal after Abacha’s death in 1998, the wells were refilled with concrete cement and have since been lying fallow. These oil wells have oil deposits but were reserved when General Obasanjo assumed office as the president of Nigeria which many observed that the action was based on political reasons.
Barambu, the village where all the current activities are geared in, is about 118 kilometers away from Bauchi State capital and about 50 km from Alkaleri local government headquarters. It is about 20 km drive situated some few kilometers from the famous Alkaleri-Futuk road. The inhabitants are villagers engaged in farming activities. The heat in the area is higher than what is felt in both Bauchi town and Alakaleri town while the road is bumpy, hollow and dusty. Most of the houses were built by mud and are mafe up of thatched roofs. They are calm and hospitable, receptive but it is likely that they may be experiencing harsh treatment from the military guarding some of the demarcated areas where either offices were set or marked for one reason or the other, not because they try to intrude but because of the usual attitude of the green uniform men. These attitude became manifestly clear when the vehicle of the correspondent chapel of the NUJ arrived the scene ahead of the State Governors convoy and were alighting from the bus when one of the military guards started shouting at them, while the secretary was introducing himself and explaining that the driver moved away to another place to park and if where they had stopped was not convenient, the military officer started shouting at the secretary to SHUT UP! Others started coming from other angles and without knowing or enquiring about what was happening, they converged on the secretary, pushing, threatening with a gun and a branch of a tree was cut off, intimidating him and hitting his leg with their booted foot to sit down. This occurred even though the bus was encrypted boldly with ‘’PRESS.’’ ‘’ Correspondent Chapel of the NUJ, Bauchi State Chapter.’’
Only God knows what would have happened if not for the intervention of their commander. Another young soldier was spotted harassing one of the oil workers later.
The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mr. Maikanti Kachalla Baru, who was represented by the Group General Manager frontier exploration services Dr. MK Bako on the 7th of March 2017 during a visit to the site by the Bauchi State governor, Barr. Muhammad Abdullahi Abubakar who, on behalf of the GMD of NNPC, told the governor that the company and their team has expressed optimism that the relationship will continue throughout the course of their engagement inBauchi State.
The governor stressed that the dream was nursed by those of them that have been part of government that initiated the prospect of the move for the restoration of the exploration according to the governor indicated the seriousness of the federal government of Nigeria in uplifting sources of revenue in order to provide for the needs of the Nigerian populace. A visit by the governor according to him is vital because it’ll serve as an encouragement to the management staff of the NNPC and their subsidiaries that have a hand in the activities of oil exploration in Bauchi he further explained that it’ll also cement cordial relationship between the host communities and the company adding that idiesel is living up to expectation of its responsibility as a company, a lot of sons of that community have been employed in the camp apart from various community development and intervention that have been either completed and in the process of completion that’ll surely upgrade the lives of the people of the host community. The governor urged members of the community to extend more cordiality in their relationship with the workers, respect and protection for the federal government equipment that were littered all over the place.” we have to imbibe being our brothers keeper, we should see property here as a property that belongs to the entire people of Nigeria, it is incumbent that we should protect the people that are here, whatever you see that will endanger the equipment should be reported to the authorities.’’
The governor explained that there are many Nigerians that need to be convinced that activities in respect of oil and gas exploration are going on in Bauchi and convinced them of the seriousness of the federal government in the exploration for the actualisation of that dream. They said if the 2d technology will find some gas 20 years ago in Kurmanu River 1, then the 3d technology will surely hit gas and a lot of oil in the area.
The Bauchi State governor, while assuring the villagers that no farm of theirs shall be taken without proper compensation also disclosed to them that they will be gainfully employed and advised them to enquire about any written or sign encrypted on anything and any place in order not to tamper with the progress of the exploration so far.
The general manager, frontier exploration revealed that a committee was set up by the NNPC to assess and quantify the value of the farmlands that is expected to be taken, explaining that no land has so far been taken from any of the famers and land owners, all these issue of compensation, he re-emphasised, will be done only when oil is hit. Oil and Gas in Bauchi, according to him is on searching process only but reassured that oil and gas will positively be hit.