by Stanley Azuakola
Oil has murdered sleep, and has set friendly neighbours on the path of acrimony. Since August 30th when Orient Petroleum Resources commissioned its facilities in an occasion where President Jonathan declared Anambra State as the 10th oil producing state, there has been tensions between the states of Anambra, Kogi and Enugu. The trio are claiming ownership of the oil wells.
Over the weekend, the Kogi State governor, Capt. Idris Wada, missed the dinner organised to mark the 21st anniversary of the state’s creation. He was in Abuja instead, where he met with President Jonathan over the thorny dispute involving the oil well.
His deputy, Yomi Awoniyi, who stood in his stead, released a statement appealing to the Ibaji Community in the State, who now claim the disputed Anambra River Oil Well, to resist the temptation of taking the law into their hands.
He urged them instead to protect the installations and assets of Orient Petroleum Resources (OPR) on Ibaji land. He said no matter the claims to the contrary, Kogi and Anambra are joint investors in the refinery.
That is a position which the Anambra State government is forcefully disputing. The Anambra State commissioner for information and culture, Chief Joe-Martins Uzodike, said last weekend, that neither Enugu nor Kogi has "invested a dime in the activities" of the oil-prospecting firm, Orient Petroleum Resources Plc (OPR), at Anambra River basin.
He said that whereas Anambra State had invested more than N4 billion of tax payers' fund in the company, "none of the persons and States, now claiming ownership of the Aguleri-Otu location of the oil well, has invested a kobo".
Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, on his own part, made a public broadcast in which he declared that the oil well which is currently being exploited by Orient belonged to the State.
In his words:
"It is pertinent to recall that Orient was formed by the administration of Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju in 2001 and allocated oil fields domiciled in Anambra State.
"The board is peopled by prominent Nigerians of Anambra extraction, such as Chief Emeka Anyaoku (Chairman), Dr. Alex Ekwueme (Vice-Chairman) and Chief Arthur Mbanefo.
"Though Dr. Mbadinuju did not make any direct monetary contribution, under Dr. Chris Ngige, Anambra State Government invested the sum of N100 Million naira (N100 Million) in the project. With the vision and belief in the positive impact of the project on the economy, the present administration invested N4.4 billion in it directly and indirectly. This bolstered the confidence of other investors in the venture, thus making its commissioning a reality.
"Whilst my predecessors never visited the site, I personally laid the foundation of the refinery. I have also visited the site several times since 2006 during which no group or state raised ownership issue.
"It is also pertinent to note that till date, neither the groups nor the states laying claim to the oil field have, directly or indirectly, invested a kobo in the project; whereas, Anambra State and its citizens have invested several billions.
"Let me state that Anambra State believes in good neighbourliness and will, in conformity with our nature, always admire and celebrate other states, which may become producers of oil or any other mineral resource in the future. However, we believe that people's hardwork, sacrifices and investment should be allowed to match their opportunities.
"Anambra State will remain a good neighbour and will continue to pray that oil be discovered in other states so that Nigeria will emerge an economic giant among the comity of nations."
While the three states battle over the oil, the managing director of Orient Oil, Chief Emeka Nwawka, said that they are currently stock-piling the extracted crude in large barges at Nsugbe-Umuleri site of its refinery in Anambra East council of the state, ahead of the coming on full stream of the refinery in a few months time.
