Deputy Dean faculty of law, University of
Abuja, Dr. Shehu Abdullahi, yesterday, asserted that crude oil abounds
in commercial quantity in the northern part of Nigeria but the
"geo-politics of Nigeria" was delaying its exploitation.
Speaking exclusively to LEADERSHIP in Abuja, Abdullahi, an expert in environmental law and policy, stressed that the issue was "a sensitive political issue," and insisted that that was the factor delaying the exploitation of the vital resource from the area.
He said: "We have four oil basins in the country; the Niger Delta Basin, which is the producing basin at the moment, and the three other basins including the Lake Chad Basin, the Benue Trough and the Rima Basin. The Lake Chad Basin stretches from Chad Republic into Lake Chad across the international boundary into Borno State, part of Yobe State and even part of Bauchi State.
"The Benue Trough stretches from River Benue up to Baro in Niger State. The Rima Basin stretches from Niger Republic into Nigerian States of Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara and Katsina. I have no doubt in my mind that there is oil in the north, but it is a sensitive political issue."
He disclosed that one of the factors militating against aggressive oil search in Northern Nigeria was southern anxiety over the political implication of the North producing oil and stressed that "if this anxiety can be assuaged, we will discover oil in the north.
"I am not a geologist, but let me explain; Niger Republic has started producing oil and at the moment much of the refined petroleum products that are marketed in Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto States, and to an extent Kano State are brought in from Niger Republic.
"If you look at where the oil was discovered in Niger Republic, it is actually the same geological formation, same stretch of the same Rima Basin which stretches across states like Kebbi, Sokoto, and Katsina.
"Geologically speaking, if they can discover oil where they did, we can discover oil where we are in the north.
"It is a sensitive political issue and what is making it impossible is not the environment, but the geo-politics of Nigeria."
Asked if the oil industry was better managed now than in the military era, Abdullahi disclosed, "The truth of the matter is that the industry has been hijacked by the oil cabal, and the only difference is that during the military regime they were in military uniform and now they are in their babariga. But they belong to the same cabal.
"For me, based on facts, what is happening now is a continuation of the military, because it is the same people that were involved in the industry that are still involved in bridging, supply, contracts, deunitisation, and other technical contracts. It is the same cabal," the university don said.
Abdullahi, maintained that oil deposits in the north when found would add to the nation's collective wealth which no state or region could claim.
He said that it would be the wealth of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and added "Oil does not belong to the North, but to the federal government. There is no federating unit or state that has the right to enter into any oil exploration and development agreement with any oil company; it is the prerogative of the federal government. But until or unless we depoliticise the issue, we will never make genuine progress, he added."
The Dean of Law said, "The damage to the industry accelerated with the coming of the civilian administration, and if we go by the level of acceleration, we could actually say that the industry has been worse off during the civilian regime than what it used to be in the military regime.
"Let us take the subsidy issue, for instance, during the Abacha regime, it was not as widespread as it is under the civilian dispensation, because during the civilian administration, there are many mouths to feed, and the civilian authority is obligated to create opportunities for the 'boys'.
Also, if you look at the faces of the people involved right from the military era to the democratic dispensation, they are the same people. It is just that the club of those that have hijacked the oil industry has actually increased.
Source: allAfrica
Speaking exclusively to LEADERSHIP in Abuja, Abdullahi, an expert in environmental law and policy, stressed that the issue was "a sensitive political issue," and insisted that that was the factor delaying the exploitation of the vital resource from the area.
He said: "We have four oil basins in the country; the Niger Delta Basin, which is the producing basin at the moment, and the three other basins including the Lake Chad Basin, the Benue Trough and the Rima Basin. The Lake Chad Basin stretches from Chad Republic into Lake Chad across the international boundary into Borno State, part of Yobe State and even part of Bauchi State.
"The Benue Trough stretches from River Benue up to Baro in Niger State. The Rima Basin stretches from Niger Republic into Nigerian States of Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara and Katsina. I have no doubt in my mind that there is oil in the north, but it is a sensitive political issue."
He disclosed that one of the factors militating against aggressive oil search in Northern Nigeria was southern anxiety over the political implication of the North producing oil and stressed that "if this anxiety can be assuaged, we will discover oil in the north.
"I am not a geologist, but let me explain; Niger Republic has started producing oil and at the moment much of the refined petroleum products that are marketed in Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto States, and to an extent Kano State are brought in from Niger Republic.
"If you look at where the oil was discovered in Niger Republic, it is actually the same geological formation, same stretch of the same Rima Basin which stretches across states like Kebbi, Sokoto, and Katsina.
"Geologically speaking, if they can discover oil where they did, we can discover oil where we are in the north.
"It is a sensitive political issue and what is making it impossible is not the environment, but the geo-politics of Nigeria."
Asked if the oil industry was better managed now than in the military era, Abdullahi disclosed, "The truth of the matter is that the industry has been hijacked by the oil cabal, and the only difference is that during the military regime they were in military uniform and now they are in their babariga. But they belong to the same cabal.
"For me, based on facts, what is happening now is a continuation of the military, because it is the same people that were involved in the industry that are still involved in bridging, supply, contracts, deunitisation, and other technical contracts. It is the same cabal," the university don said.
Abdullahi, maintained that oil deposits in the north when found would add to the nation's collective wealth which no state or region could claim.
He said that it would be the wealth of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and added "Oil does not belong to the North, but to the federal government. There is no federating unit or state that has the right to enter into any oil exploration and development agreement with any oil company; it is the prerogative of the federal government. But until or unless we depoliticise the issue, we will never make genuine progress, he added."
The Dean of Law said, "The damage to the industry accelerated with the coming of the civilian administration, and if we go by the level of acceleration, we could actually say that the industry has been worse off during the civilian regime than what it used to be in the military regime.
"Let us take the subsidy issue, for instance, during the Abacha regime, it was not as widespread as it is under the civilian dispensation, because during the civilian administration, there are many mouths to feed, and the civilian authority is obligated to create opportunities for the 'boys'.
Also, if you look at the faces of the people involved right from the military era to the democratic dispensation, they are the same people. It is just that the club of those that have hijacked the oil industry has actually increased.
Source: allAfrica
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