The Politics of Hydrocarbons: A Silent Gombe-Bauchi War -By Ismail Bello El-Ibrany

Although the world is moving away from the usage of fossil fuels―crude oil, natural gas, and coal― because of their inherent damage to the environment. The current climate change crisis facing the world calls for finding new sources of energy. Renewable sources of energy―solar, wind, water, biofuel― provide cleaner, safer means of energy. Nigeria is one of the main exporter of crude oil to the international market. Recently, she has inaugurated the exploration of some oil wells in the North-East, specifically Bauchi and Gombe States.

The oil wells are said to be between Alkaleri Local Government Area in Bauchi State, and that of Akko Local Government Area in Gombe State. The wells are named after a river called Kolmani. These developments have generated a sense of pride in not only Gombe and Bauchi State people, but also across the entire northern region, which is called Arewa by most of its inhabitants. For the North has suffered humiliation from the southern oil-producing states calling it “parasite”, because it didn’t put anything on the table.

However, amid this elation about the good news of oil as well as natural gas discovery in the North generally and Gombe and Bauchi States particularly, there seem to a silent war undergoing between these two emerging oil-producing states which will not bode well for them, and the country as a whole.

Hence, I have decided to pen this piece as a warning to not allow this non-violent conflict to escalate to violent, or worse, armed conflict. This is not the first time petroleum resources trigger war between state and state, country and country. Fresh in our memory was the Anambra and Kogi States about boundary delimitation, which was conduced by oil wells between the states. There are many issues in court about boundary problems in the Niger Delta region about oil fields.

The Bakassi peninsula crisis fought between Nigeria and the Cameroon was largely because of the oil-rich content of the Peninsula. The issue is that hydrocarbon deposits don’t care about our geographic, cartographic delineation. That is why its occurrence often precipitates violent conflict between erstwhile peaceful, friendly communities.

Gombe was carved out from the former Bauchi State in 1996 by the then tyrannic head of state, General Sani Abacha. In fact, he was one of those who started the work of discovery and exploration. However, some people are of the opinion the discovery and exploration was there long before the advent of his regime. Some say it was first initiated in the First Republic by the late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.

As I write this, blame game is going on between some government officials of the two up-coming oil-producing states. Some blame the National Boundary Commision for the doing a poor job of misleading NNPC about the exact location of the oil fields. Some blame the late former GMD of the NNPC, late Mai Kanti Baru, who was the head of NNPC when the Federal Government decided to discover more hydrocarbon deposits in the country, especially in the North.

Well, all these statements, allegations and counter allegations, will lead us nowhere. The best way is to unite and see that this resource has been fully extracted and harnessed for the overall development of Gombe and Bauchi States, and Nigeria in general. Let us not turn a blessing to a curse. The FG should intervene in this seemingly war that is taking roots between Gombe and Bauchi over the oil fields.

Government officials going on media claiming ownership of oil fields and the other side countering. The media warfare will, if left unchecked, degenerate into a state of bloody conflict. Conflict is inevitable but violent conflict is avoidable. In a country where a mere farmland dispute between two neighboring farmers lead to loss of lives. I think it wouldn’t be amiss to take precautionary measures to avert the looming mutual tension before it goes out of control.

Ismail Bello El-Ibrany writes from Gombe