Obi: Oil Field Belongs to Anambra State

Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State has expressed shock at what he described as claims by some groups and states to the oil field discovered in Anambra State and insisted that the oil belongs to his state.

In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Valentine Obienyem, the governor also wondered why the claims started after the successful inauguration of the facilities of Orient Petroleum by President Goodluck Jonathan when he visited the state on August 30, 2012. Tracing the formation of the oil company to the state, Governor Obi recalled that Orient Petroleum Resources Plc was formed during the administration of Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju in 2001 and was allocated oil fields domiciled in the state. He noted that though Mbadinuju did not make any direct monetary contribution, the administration of Dr. Chris Ngige invested the sum of N100million in the project between 2003 and 2006. Obi also disclosed that between 2006 and 2009, his administration invested, directly and indirectly, the sum of N4.4 billion, which according to him, bolstered the confidence of other investors to invest in the venture that made its commissioning a reality. Obi assured that the State would remain a good neighbour and would continue to pray for oil to be discovered in other states so that Nigeria would emerge an economic giant in the comity of nations.