The Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, on Monday, said the state has not yet been fully named an oil-producing state in Nigeria.

Soludo, disclosed this while interacting with the task force team of the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), a World Bank assisted project, at BON hotel Awka, the state capital.

It was gathered that the NEWMAP task force team was in Anambra State to inspect what the erosion monitoring agency has done in the past 10 years in Anambra State.

It was reported earlier that the state government under the immediate past administration of Governor Willie Obiano, in 2021 received approval from the Presidency to be recognised as an oil-producing state and that in a letter addressed to Obiano on August 24, 2021, and signed by its Secretary, Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission Secretary, under the Presidency, Mr M B. Shehu, the Commission approved the attribution of about 11 oil wells to Anambra State. The oil wells include Nzam 1, Alo 1, Ogbu 1, Ameshi 1,2,3,4 and Enyie 1,2,3,4.

But Soludo, who was represented by his Deputy, Mr Onyekachukwu Ibezim, at the interaction, made it clear that the state is yet to be fully assented to among oil-producing states in the country.

On the NEWMAP project in the state, the governor said Anambra State has paid her counterpart funds to the tune of 700 million naira.

He explained that for now, Anambra State is in a cash trap. We are managing the little fund at our disposal.

The 700 million counterpart funds paid by the Anambra State Government show that we recognised the part, you have played in Anambra State.

Initially, the state have 960 gully erosion sites, but with the NEWMAP effort, it has reduced to 947 after the successful completion of 8 sites and 5 near completion in some most affected communities.

While commending the Work Bank for assisting the state in controlling the ravaging erosion menace through the NEWMAP, the governor noted that the menace has been a source of hindrance to development in the state.

The taskforce team leader, of NEWMAP Nigeria, Dr Joy Agene, said the team was in Anambra State for the 2022 NEWMAP AF-ICRM Conference in Awka/inspection of the projects done so far in the state and to have a face-face interaction with beneficiaries’ communities.

She said NEWMAP has been in Anambra State for ten years and is expected to complete her mission in June 2022. (Nigerian Tribune)