Kolmani: Gombe to play big brother role to states without Oil – Commissioner
Gombe State Honourable Commissioner for Information and Culture MESHACK AUDU LAUCO, in this interview with CHIMA AZUBUIKE, x-rays emerging controversies three weeks after the Federal Government commissioned oil in the North-East Region.
Kolmani recently became prominent following the oil find, what’s the situation since the flag off by the President Maj.Gen. Muhammadu Buhari?
Of course some of the oil wells and possibly majority are in Gombe State, but since Kolmani (the name of a river), it stretches up to Bauchi state from Gombe State, but were the commissioning was done that’s the location. We went there through Pindiga axis we passed through two other places and we saw the soldiers there stationed and those ones are in Gombe State. The important thing is that oil has been found in the kolmani area comprising of Gombe and Bauchi States.
At what time did the government discover there is oil there?
For a long time there has been attempt to try and see whether oil is available from the geological surveys and in what quantity? Because is not just about the availability of oil, is it in commercial quantity? Because oil drilling is capital intensive so you don’t drill because before you do the survey you will pass through a lot of process involved. You must make sure that the oil is in commercial quantity before you proceed, to the drilling processes. So, that you will be able to break even and that is why it took a long time to be sure that the investment is worth it whether is private sector investment or government sector investment.
Some have alleged that the North knew it had oil but wanted the wells from the South to dry, especially to play the check out card when agitation for resource control heightens, what do you make of this?
For long the North has been trying to say look if there’s oil get it nobody will have something and say no let me wait. If we have oil both in the North and the South and there’s refinery, if you ask those who supply fuel to the filing station they will tell you if you want to sell a litre for instance at N140 in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Warri areas they will tell u no we can’t come to Gombe and sell at the same N140. What about cost of bringing it from here, to there so if there’s oil in Gombe State and there’s a refinery near by then the cost will be the same including the neighbouring states. The important thing is service to humanity and to the people of Nigeria.
For how many years do you think the wells will last?
Is not just the Oil itself, but the Gas reserve there is another source of income because gradually if you look at the international arena you will see that people are gradually moving into the gas sector. We have a lot of the gas (500 billion Cubic Feet of Gas within the Kolmani area), more than the oil so more or less but you cannot just get the Gas and leave the oil so the availability of it matters, the emphasis is more on the profit that will be derived from gas than just the oil. Yes, oil is the black gold but people are now gradually moving from the exhaustible source of energy to things like solar but gas if you observe even in Nigeria, many families are using gas to cook. It is gaining acceptability especially in the issue of climate change and all these things so we are gradually but certainly moving on to the use of gas and therefore focus will also be on the gas quantity available.
Who indeed owns these oil wells?
Drilling of oil is the responsibility of the Federal Government wherever it is located, it is the Federal Government that has the right to drill it. However, there are benefits derivable to the state were the oil wells are located. For instance in revenue allocation and sharing you will find 13 per cent derivation to oil producing states so these are some of the benefits coming from the state but the right of drilling is that of the Federal Government and presently it is the NNPC. So Bauchi and Gombe states stand to benefit so we are not having any argument about it between Bauchi and Gombe States, the oil reserves are available in both states.
So, there won’t be any need to go to court any time soon; some have claimed Gombe owns four, Bauchi owns kolmani one?
If i should go by your words, since they have one they still have, those with the claims cannot say there’s no oil being produced in Bauchi State. So, Bauchi becomes an oil producing state just like Gombe since the 13 per cent derivation is not based on the number of wells that you have.
Are you not afraid that the oil discovery in the North may be surrounded by controversy because the North-East is already talking about insurgency, banditry, kidnapping?
Things happen and as human beings that’s why we are superior animals. We learn from experience. We know what has happened in the Niger Delta we know the clamour, the loss of lives, the degradation of the area and the agitation by the people there which led to the amnesty granted by the Yar adu’a government. All those things we are trying to take care of them right from the onset between Bauchi and Gombe States so, that we don’t have such. We have learnt from history. By the grace of God we don’t intend to have any controversy. You see controversy comes in when the two parties refuse to come together to discuss. Already Bauchi and Gombe states at top government level of the Chief Executive of the States they have been having an interaction and i don’t see any problem that will take place between Bauchi and Gombe State. People outside government may be misinformed but i am telling you this from position of government that we do not envisage problems, when you see such problems happening sometimes its when government didn’t pay attention but in our own case our governor from the onset has paid attention and said he wouldn’t want anything like that and it will not happen by the grace of God .
When will the both Governors’ meet on the matter?
When government meet at certain levels there are some details that we don’t make public.
The two governors have been meeting and discussing even at the instance of Mr President that is the highest level of an interaction.
What do you make of Governor Muhammadu Yahaya’s thank you visit to Mr president alongside political leaders of Gombe State?
In Gombe State we must be thankful to Mr President he has put in place alot of resources from Federal Government, alot of energy, alot of commitment to ensure, the discovery becomes a reality. Remember this attempt to locate oil did not start today it took years but with the coming of Mr President having seen some report that was showing that there is likelihood that there is oil in those places he became very committed to say look let’s know the quantity? let’s know what level and lets know the total value of it ? that commitment alone is enough for Gombe State at the highest level led by the Governor to pay him a thank you visit. Even the Bible teaches you to appreciate when somebody does something that is good and is not out of place, is for our good for somebody at whatsoever level to show commitment to your state on an issue that will benefit the State and it is only right and proper for you to say thank you and that’s what the governor went to do.
The Gombe State Commissioner for finance last year pleaded with his Southern counterparts to be their brothers keeper as it relates to the famous VAT discourse, how buoyant do you think Gombe would be, especially in playing big brother role ?
If we are brothers that were been kept at least by the oil producing states and now that we are going to be an oil producing state, not all states are oil producing state so there are still brothers that we need to keep. We will also be our brothers keeper to other states whether the state is in the North or South for as long as it is not an oil producing state just like the other oil producing states were their brothers’ keepers we will also be our brothers keeper.
Just about three weeks after the inauguration of wells both states have been bickering, what’s the way out?
People should not go into speculation of issues that don’t exist. Gombe and Bauchi States, right from Northern region when it was division, there was Bauchi division, Gombe division then we came to North-Eastern states some of us that were in school during that time we know we had 12 states in Nigeria, then we came to Bauchi state as of 1976 Bauchi and Gombe States were still in one state. so, we have been brothers, with Bauchi State, oil cannot come and separate us now.
