Gombe Gov Lauds Buhari For His Political Will On Oil, Gas Exploration

President Muhammadu Buhari has been commended for his Political will and commitment he has so far exhibited on the actualization of the Kolmani Oil Well Project in the Benue trough of the Gongola basin.

The commendation was made by Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya while handing over a piece of land along Gombe bypass to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for the construction of a 200- bed capacity hospital and a diagnostic centre in the state.

The Governor said that it is glaring that President Muhammadu Buhari has shown tremendous interest in the exploration and exploitation of oil and gas in the state and the larger Gongola Basin.

Inuwa Yahaya said that, “So I want to use this opportunity to thank most profoundly Mr President for giving adequate attention and for his political will and commitment with regards to the exploration of oil and gas in the North East sub-region.”

The Governor also appreciated the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mele Kyari as well as the Frontier Exploration Division of the Corporation for ensuring that Gombe State benefits from the natural resources God has endowed it with.

He said that, “Of recent, the NNPC injected  a lot of resources and so far two oil wells have been drilled from which a significant quantity of oil that is commercially viable has been found in the Kolmani area which is located in Akko Local Government Area, precisely in Pindiga Emirate.”

Inuwa Yahaya also said that when the issue of oil exploration began in the state, he had on several occasions visited the Corporate headquarters of  the NNPC and also met with President  Muhammadu Buhari to interface with them on how best the state can benefit from the oil exploration.

He then stressing that only recently he was with the GMD of the Corporation where several issues were discussed, top of which is the construction of the 200- bed capacity hospital in Gombe.

The Governor concluded that, “We want to commend the NNPC,  in particular the Group General Manager, Frontier Exploration Service for all the effort they have been putting in to align Gombe State to the league of oil producing states in Nigeria, so far I can say so very good”.

While Presenting the signature plan and title documents of the land to the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mele Kyari, represented by the Group General Manager, Frontier Exploration Service, Engineer Abdullahi Bomai, the Governor noted that the symbiotic  relationship between his administration and the NNPC is yielding positive results for the benefit of the citizenry with the latest gesture through the corporation’s corporate social responsibility programme.

He explained that the moment his administration attracted NNPC’s interest to construct the 200- bed capacity hospital, the thought of where to site the facility for the best interest of the people came to his mind, adding that the decision to situate it along the Gombe bypass was consequent upon the fact that no Government health facility is located along the route which houses a large number of people including IDPs who are more vulnerable to covid-19 virus and other illnesses.

He added that, “This place is quite adequate because what you requested for was 4 hectares but this is 5.4 hectares of land, so you have extra space to do more and I hope and pray that as I present this to you, next week we shall see activities being carried out here”.

In his Response, the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mele Kyari,  represented by the Group General Manager,  Frontier Exploration Services,  Engineer Abdullahi Bomai thanked the Government and people of the State for supporting drilling operations of the NNPC ongoing in the state.

Mele Kyari said that, “Since we started operations in Gombe State we have not recorded a single incident either of security or community disturbance. For this, the NNPC is quiet happy and appreciative of this rare show of support we are receiving from the people of the State.”

He further said that top management of the NNPC approved the construction of the hospital and a diagnostic Centre in the State to complement the transformational drive of the Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya in the health sector, stressing that the gesture was part of the Corporation’s corporate social responsibility.

In his vote of thanks, the Emir of Gona lauded Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya for his political sagacity in influencing the setting up of the hospital in the state and for approving the siting of  the medical facility within his emirate.

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