Governor Yahaya Bello says Kogi State has become the first oil-producing state in Northern Nigeria.
Governor Bello said this during an interactive session with State House reporters after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The governor, who said his visit was to thank President Buhari for his magnanimity, congratulated his people for the feat.
He promised to ensure that proceeds from oil were used to develop other sectors of the economy to avoid past mistakes in the country.
He appealed to the president to help facilitate the completion of Ajaokuta Steel Company before the end of his administration.
He said: “I came to see our father, Mr. President, to appreciate him on behalf of the good people of Kogi State that today, Kogi is the first Nigerian northern state to be referred to as oil-producing state.
“We came to appreciate Mr. President, for that magnanimity, and also to congratulate the people of Kogi state, and Nigerians, generally. We equally brought a request to the effects that the Ajaokuta steel company is still moribund. And his efforts in ensuring that he revives Ajaokuta Steel Complex. We submitted a submission to the effect that he should in the life of his administration, be able to complete that Ajaokuta complex.
“And Mr. President received all of these and more with pleasure and he promised that something is going to be done to ensure that Ajaokuta is revived and running before the end of this administration.
“The fact that we are oil-producing today, I want to assure all the citizens of Kogi state and Nigerians that the mistake that we made in the past where Nigeria depends on oil alone, as a source of revenue today, will not be repeated. Whatever is going to be accruing to Kogi state will be used to support all other sectors, the Agric sector, manufacturing, and several other sectors of our economy to ensure that… it is going to serve as a catalyst. It’s not going to be just the only single means upon which we shall depend, no. We will not make that mistake.”
