Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo has inaugurated the Anambra State Oil and Gas Development Committee at the Government House, Awka.
Barrister Uju Ifejika is the Chairperson, while the Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources is the Secretary.
Vice Chairman of the Committee is Engr. Ikechukwu G. Okafor.
Other members include the Commissioner for Transport, Barr. Patricia Igwebike, Commissioner for Information, Sir Paul Nwosu, among others .
Pointing out that Anambra has joined other states as an oil and gas producing state, Governor Soludo stressed the necessity of having a formal committee because, according to him, to exploit oil and gas, one has to pass through the land.
Governor Soludo said, that special care should be given, to ensure that the right things are done.
Reminding them that Anambra is unique in the sense that there is no offshore. Everything is onshore, on the land people use for farming, he said it’s a blessing to have this huge resource domiciled in Anambra with 35.5 million cubic feet of gas which is about 18% of proven gas in Nigeria.
He said that with that, Anambra is the gas capital of Nigeria.
He also said there’s a need to be guided to avoid repeating the same mistakes of the past.
He said that the committee is to help the government navigate through the uncharted waters in the state.