Gombe State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya, on Friday, raised concern over the lack of progress on the Kolmani Integrated Development Project in the North-East almost two years after it was flagged off.
He described the development as frustrating. Specifically, the project flag-off was done in September 2022 by former President Muhammadu Buhari who, at the time, said that oil exploration at the Kolmani River located between Gombe and Bauchi states has already attracted over $3bn foreign direct investment and will boost Nigeria’s fortunes and earnings.
The project, the first of its kind in the zone, was expected to start with a daily production of about 50,000 barrels of crude oil, but got stalled with the exit of the Buhari-led administration.
Speaking with newsmen after he met with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Yahaya revealed that the stalled project was part of the reasons he met with the President on Friday.
Yahaya said, “It is really a very unfortunate development. As you said, close to two years now after the foundation laying for an integrated in situ development comprising of 250 thousand capacity refinery and 350 megawatts of power plant and 2000 tons capacity fertiliser plant which was supposed to take off since then, but because I think there are some issues with the NNPC and also the partners that are engaged or developers, those issues really have strangled operation to take off.
“And in fact, it is part of the discussion I had with Mr. President believing that once he steps in, maybe we will see activities back for the fact that petroleum and gas are under the exclusive list, and there is not much we can do.
“NNPC is the only company that is to handle anything gas or petroleum of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and as such presidential intervention which I just came and sought for will really make things turn back and activities will resume on the site as soon as possible.”
The governor said other issues which formed the crux of their discussion during the closed door with the president were the economy as well as security, affirming that Tinubu is ready and will do his best to fulfil his mandate.
“I came to see Mr. President as a follow up to the recent developments in the country especially on economy as regards to food security and also as regards to recent developments in the polity.
“And our engagement has been very robust we touched on all the issues and I am satisfied and convinced that Mr President is ready and has been doing his best and will continue to do his best to deliver on the mandate and see that Nigeria is out of the current situation, improve and catch up with the rest of the developed world,” Yahaya said.
The governor also affirmed that his administration is tackling insecurity in Gombe State.
He explained: “We have been doing alot with regard to insecurity. It is unfortunate that the whole of the North and particularly the northeast which started some 15 years ago with Boko Haram and subsequent insurgency and displacement of people, we saw the effect of insecurity and now the remaining part of the north especially northwest and north central with kidnapping and banditry which resulted because of cattle rustling and farmers herders clash.
“Gombe luckily is not part of those states that are in the front lines and that has had this effect of kidnappers and banditry at least to the extent that it is now in other states of the north.
“We have been doing a lot in order to ensure there is security for lives and property in Gombe and the security agencies have been very supportive with regard to that.
The people too have been cooperative and we are relatively secured and we will continue to pursue and ensure that there is full security for lives and property in Gombe State.
“And we will collaborate with our brothers in the neighbouring state in the northeast sub region and the wider north to ensure that we are brothers keepers as security is restored back to normalcy knowing fully well that insecurity is the cause of the current food crisis that we have in the country.”
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