There is OIL in Benue , renew oil search here – Gov Ortom spites N’Delta, sends message to NNPC, FG
Benue State Deputy Governor, Benson Abounu has called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Federal Government to move quickly and renew the search for crude oil in the state, earlier commenced by Chevron Nigeria Limited in the 1960s and 70s.
Ortom made the call at the weekend in Otukpo while receiving Apa Local Government Sole Administrator, Danjuma Solomon, who came to brief him on the discovery of oil seepage in his local government area and the further discovery of exploratory oil wells drilled in the 1960s by Chevron.
The governor, who spoke through his deputy, Benson Abounu, described the latest discovery as a welcome development, saying that based on the results of several geological investigations, the government was convinced that the state had oil as what was needed was more exploration activities and exploitation of the oil.
He said at a period of depleting oil reserves and continuing restiveness in the Niger Delta, it was wise for the government to ex-plore new frontiers of oil exploitation to boost the nation’s stock.
Earlier, Solomon, who told the deputy governor that there were several areas of oil seepage in Apa, said the villagers had been prompted to dig up the earth only to locate one of the exploratory wells drilled in the 1960’s by Chevron and that it was evidential that there was oil.
He said consequent upon the discovery, a team of geologists visited the area recently and carried out some investigations, which according to him tend to support the availability of oil in the state.
