We won’t allow Benin Republic to take oil rich Tongeji Island – Gov Abiodun

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has declared that his
administration would not allow the oil rich Tongeji Island that
shares boundary with the Republic of Benin, to be taken away by
Nigeria’s neighbouring country.

Abiodun said his administration is determined to do all in its
power to make life meaningful for the citizens of the state living
within the Island located in Ipokia Local Government area of the
state,

Abiodun who made this known at the weekend when he received the
Nigerian Ambassador to the Republic of Benin, Ambassador Emmanuel
Kayode Oguntuase and the Flag Officer Commanding Western
Region(FOC), Rear Admiral Oladele Daji, noted that the Island had
been on his administration’s radar because of its huge deposit of
petroleum resources.

According to him, the Island is of huge interest to his
administration.

Abiodun said the visit of the Ambassador would only make his
administration to act even quicker and ensure that the Republic of
Benin that shares boundary with the state does not take advantage
of the Island.

He added that state government would set up a team to visit the
Island soon on a fact finding mission and to find out what could be
done to assure the people of the area that they have not been
forgotten.

The Governor further disclosed that his administration had
informed the Federal Ministry of Petroleum that the Island was of
huge interest to the state government, adding that his government
had also began discussions with investors on the way forward.

Abiodun said: “Tongeji Island is a place where we do have
valuable reserve and I had mentioned to the Federal Ministry of
Petroleum that the Island and Ogun Waterside are areas of interest
to the state government and we have began discussions with others
to explore partnership agreements under a Public Private
Partnership to see what we can do in terms of prospecting the
opportunities that lay beneath the soil in Tongeji Island and Ogun
Waterside.”

He said his administration would fast-track the process to see
other services that could be rendered to the people of the area,
pledging take the issue up with the National Borders
Commission.

The governor said he would also engage the Development Agenda
for Western Nigeria Commission (DAWN) and involve Lagos and Oyo
State governors that also share border towns with the Republic of
Benin.

He lauded the Flag Officer Commanding the Western Region, Rear
Admiral Oladele Daji for ensuring that the water ways were free and
devoid of anarchy, and urged him not to hesitate to bring to his
notice, issues that are germane to the security of the region.

In his remark, the Nigerian Ambassador to the Republic of Benin,
Ambassador Emmanuel Kayode Oguntuase disclosed that his visit to
the state governor was to intimate him on happenings in the area as
the closet to the Island, adding that it was important to let the
over One thousand inhabitants of the Island to feel governments
presence, as the Republic of Benin was presently trying hard to
lure the people and take over the Island because of the huge
petroleum resources embedded beneath the ground.

The Nigerian Ambassador to the Republic of Benin and the Flag
Officer Commanding Western Nigeria, had with them the Consular
Officer, Mrs. Olubunmi Olanusi, Commandant, Nigerian Navy Secondary
School, Abeokuta, Commandant Dauda and the Deputy Defence Attache,
Commandant Tony Bassey.