NIGERIAN National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Federal Government have been called to renew their exploration of oil in Benue state.
Deputy governor of Benue, Engineer Benson Abounu made the call at the weekend in Otukpo on the purported discovery of oil seepage in Apa local government area and further discovery of exploratory oil wells drilled in 1960s by Chevron.
Abounu spoke at Otukpo while receiving the 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 deputy governor said that with the latest discovery of oil and results of several geological investigations carried out in the area the state is convinced all along that that the state has oil, all that is needed is further exploration of the oil.
While calling on federal government and NNPC prompt action into the discovery, the deputy governor averred, ‘at a period of depleting oil reserves and continuing restiveness in the Niger delta, it is wise for the government to explore new frontiers of oil exploitation to boost the nation’s stock’’.
Apa local government sole administrator, Hon. Danjuma Solomon had told the deputy governor of discovery of several areas of oil seepage in the council and added that 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 is evidential that there is oil.
“A team of geologists had visited the area and carried out some investigations which according to my understanding, they tend to support the availability of oil in the state’’.
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