Gombe State Governor, Mohammed Yahaya, has met with President Muhammadu Buhari to urge him to prevail on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, to begin oil and gas exploitation in the Gongola Basin.
Briefing State House correspondents on the purpose of his visit to the President on Friday, Governor Yahaya said that the exploitation would trigger economic activities and create jobs for the states in the region.
He explained that one of the reasons for the meeting with the President was to show his solidarity over the way he has handled the Covid-19 pandemic, which he assured, would soon be a thing of the past.
Also Read : NDLEA parade suspected drug peddlers in Gombe
He also said his mission was to bring to Buhari’s notice, the pressure placed on Gombe State by internally displaced persons arriving from states where Boko Haram is active.
He said two local government areas in the State have also been affected by flood that has displaced people and created gullies. Yahaya said he sought the intervention of the President to enable the State tackle the menace.
The Governor disclosed that over 3,200 families have been displaced, saying that government is trying to provide them with alternatives.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)