North Should Get Equal Share of Oil Money As Niger Delta

North Should Get Equal Share of Oil Money As Niger Delta

Even when the North and other regions enjoyed full derivation during the time immediately before the discovery of oil, the chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Babangida Aliyu has called for an equal share of oil wealth amongst all the states with no preference given to the Niger Delta proving what the chairman of Afenifere said two days ago that the North is too dependent on the resources of the South to even think of dividing making the threat by Professor Ango Abdullahi of the Arewa Elders Forum that the North could secede from Nigeria an empty threat.

Aliyu, who is also the chairman of Northern Governors Forum stated this in a speech he made at the award night organised by the Nigerian News Direct in Abuja on Thursday.

“In the light of the changing realities in Nigeria and in the spirit of our common nationality, we probably need to consider the resources of the nation as a common patrimony for the common good of all citizens,” said the governor.

Aliyu explained that in this way, the nation’s resources would “balance derivation’ with needs to guarantee continued socio-economic and political wellbeing of the nation, since the constitution does not restrict the citizens of a particular part of the country from settling in another part.”

He said that in Niger State, the policy of free education, free healthcare for children, women and the aged introduced by his administration, including mass housing scheme are being enjoyed by all Nigerians that live in the state.

Countering the position of House of Assembly speakers from Niger Delta who recently demanded for the 50 per cent of the country’s oil revenue, the Governor of Niger State, Mu’uazu Babangida Aliyu yesterday insisted that oil revenue should be shared equally by every state of this country.

Of recent there have been a flurry of activities from prominent Northerners either calling for a greater share of the nations oil wealth with Dr. Junaid Mohammed of the Concerned Northern Leaders questioning the rationale for claiming that the Niger Delta lays thegolden egg saying "there is no golden egg. It is God that put it there". This ungrateful attitude has outraged many in the South who are desirous of True Federalism the way the Nation's founding father negotiatEd with the British at independence before the military forcefully changed it.