Anambra State House of Assembly is to put in place a legislative framework that will arrest leakages of revenue generated from oil exploration and mineral resources.

 

The Chairman of Anambra State House of Assembly Committee on Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Honourable Chidi Ibemeka disclosed this when the Committee paid a familiarization visit to the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources at Dr. Jerome Udorji Secretariat in Awka.

 

Honourable Ibemeka who led other members of the committee to the visit lamented that there is high level of oil theft in the state and low declaration of oil exploration by exploration companies in Anambra State and ways to stop it is through legislative framework and oversighting companies who are exploring oil without paying the required fund.

 

The legislator informed the Ministry that Anambra State House of Assembly had passed resolutions to regulate the activities of oil and gas dealers in the state as well as the establishment of cooking gas stations across the state.

 

He assured that the Committee will join hands with the Ministry to set up a Joint Taskforce Committee that will be checkmating the activities of Petroleum Marketers and realize the vision of Governor Chukwuma Soludo for the Ministry among others.

 

On his part, the Commissioner for Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Barrister Tony Ifeanya who intimated the committee on the efforts they are making to achieve the core mandate of the Ministry revealed that Anambra State Solid Mineral Development Company and Anambra State Petroleum and Energy Resources have been incorporated into the Ministry to help them achieve their core mandate.

 

He informed the committee that the Ministry had organized a sensitization workshop for Ogwuikpele and Ogwuanaocha oil producing communities with a view to discouraging oil theft and ensuring that the State Government generates enough revenue from oil exploration.

 

Barrister Ifeanya went further to say that Governor Chukwuma Soludo has directed key officials of the Ministry to understudy the Kaduna Mineral Development Company, figure out the way they explore their mineral resources and apply it in the Ministry for the benefit of Anambra State.

 

Other members of the Committee, Honourable Jude Ngaòbiri and Obi Nweke also expressed the strong desire ofthe committee to partner the Ministry to plug oil revenue leakages so that Anambra State Government will have enough revenue to develop the state