Origin
of Resource Control
By
Kunle I Sowunmi
kshoid@2wayexports.com
The first republic the constitution gave control of resource to the
regions, which was changed by various military regimes until 13% was
allocated to the oil producing States in the country in the new military
imposed constitution. Like Oliver Twists the Oil producing States wants
more not only more, they want 25-50 percent of the whole oil money and the
rest of the country is by style saying No. I say by style, because nobody
will be happy with only six States out of thirty-six States of the
federation controlling the billions of dollars while the rest of the
country will be languishing in poverty.
The South–South States by greed is asking for impossibility. How will they
be comfortable with the whole billions of dollars while we continue to
look at them sharing it among the warlords or governors? How will they
manage the oil and international politics involved without trying to opt
out of the Federal Republic of Nigeria? Is Nigeria going to be better off
with all the resource given to south-south States? The answer to all these
will still be NO. The North through its leaders at the last confab was
bold enough to openly say no to what the rest of the country is afraid to
tell the south-south leaders. The North by that singular action remains
the only honest and straightforward groups in the last CONFAB perhaps the
South-South will one day get the message about its ambitious demand by
unreasonably asking for impossibilities in an economy, which solely
depends on oil revenue. It is not possible like the Yoruba will say KO
EASY RARA O
Governors as Thieves
It is no longer news that greed is the bedrock of the problem of the
so-called agitation for resource control or resource takes over as claimed
by one of the warlords. In one other southern states making threats and
even moved further to threaten not only the British oil interest in
Nigeria, they short down the oil pipe lines in some parts of the country
action to this writer is not the best or reasonable approach. The civilian
governor of Bayelsa State Peter Alademieyeseigha (what a long last name)
was recently arrested in London for money laundry and his passport seized
and he is now scheduled for court appearance on November 15th 2005 meaning
the governor can not travel home and by this had abandon his duties as
Governor for more than 30 days. In all civilized society absenteeism from
work for more than seven days can lead to termination of appointment. The
Governor must be replaced with the Deputy Governor with immediate effect
for the state to move one. This time unlike Governor Dariye of Plateau
state Peter is not going to be lucky because there is no immunity for a
thief outside Nigeria boarder and this is official from the Federal
Government. Peter is not coming back as governor of the state if only for
the Federal government to make a point that the leaders of the South-
South demanding for more revenue are nothing but thieves. In the light of
this new development the state assembly of Bayelsa must initiate action
for replacement instead of participating in a fruitless venture of asking
the British to release a criminal. It is only in Nigeria that a thief will
be arrested and the thief will have the support of the people more than
the support of the Law that is helping to regulate the decency in the
society. Peter Alademieyeseigha the Governor of Bayelsa like some of the
past and present governors is nothing but a thief that needs to be behind
the bar for more that 15 years it does not need the sympathy of the
people.
South-South Supporters
Those who support the South-South agitation gave the following excuses
about lack of water, electricity and other environmental deficiency on the
part of the Federal government for the people living in the riverside
States as the reasons for the resource control while this writer from the
past has been a critic of Obasanjo’s administration. It will be unwise to
criticize for the sake of criticism the supporters of resources control
failed to understand that some if not all these requests are the
responsibilities of the state government not Federal government. In other
States of the Federation it is the constitutional duty of the States
through Water Corporation to make water available to the various local
government, to provide schools and hospitals it is the duty of the state
to be responsible for state roads not Federal government what should be
asked is what did all past and present governors of the south-south States
do with all the money they were allocated since 1956 the first time oil
was discovered in Nigeria.
West Approach to Basic Needs
Perhaps, what the rest of the country particularly the South should learn
does Papa Awo enshrine the foundation of governance as. He never waited
for Federal government in provision of basic amenities in the first
republic and this process was adopted by various UPN states in the second
Republic for example in 1979 during the agitation for student bursary that
was not paid on time all the student of Ogun state students throughout the
country met with Late Chief Bisi Onabanjo the then Governor of Ogun state
from there the governor explained how he installed all the wire and poles
in five local government after which he contacted NEPA to hook it up with
the National grid. Unlike the States in south-south areas of Nigeria the
West did not have to wait for Federal government to build schools, to have
water, electricity and other basic needs, in the West we use NIKI slogan
“JUST DO IT” and confront the Federal with evidence which is the reason
governor Tinubu of Lagos is involved in some of these kind of projects.
Most of the governors particularly, in the so-called South-South States
are intellectually lazy, criminally minded and lack of feeling for their
people. All the south-South States received their allocation like any
other States of the federation what happened to it? If they cannot meet
with the financial requirement for a project did they ask for Federal
support in areas of water roads and others if yes was it made public? If
yes, was it published in News media? If yes, which one and when? But if
the answer to all this is no the fault lies within the States involved.
The so called warlords must direct their efforts at convincing their
governors to adopt people oriented programs like the WEST instead of
embarking on fruitless venture because it is obvious nobody is going to
allow them out of Federal republic or grant unreasonable request just like
the country did not allow the Igbos to go the South –South case will not
be different.
Immunity Clause
The military writers of the present constitution did more havoc than good
with the inclusion of immunity clause for 74 other political officers.
Immunity should not cover criminal activities and to think a governor will
be prosecuted upon living office is nothing but lies. The governors that
stole all the money from all the States are moving around now without any
law after them infact the society looses interest in your past as soon as
you are no longer in government. In Nigeria there is no accountability
after office. Some have linked sovereignty with immunity meaning the
Federal Government has no right to waive the immunity of a sitting
governor if arrested or committed crimes outside the borders of Nigeria.
What do we expect from a government that has been rendered impotent by the
immunity clause in the constitution? Let us commend Aremu Obasanjo for a
doing very little in the mist of plenty. Obasanjo must go after the past
governors to demonstrate the objectivity of a sincere government. The last
governor of his state of origin collected over 100 million Naira for new
Third Ogun River Bridge, which up till today there is nothing on the
ground to show for it.
While it is becoming increasingly impossible to check the greed of most of
Nigerian Governors most of them if not all are not better than armed
robbers or pen robbers like the former Police inspector General they have
all milked there state dry. They steal openly and also display this
proceeds of this action openly, they buy housed in places they will never
live for 5 days in a year. These also include the Vice President with a
$1.7 million house in the United States of America, the President’s son or
do we say the President through his son bought properties in America? To
combat this problem the national assemble can vote to expunge that aspect
of the constitution since they are not covered by the so called immunity
clause the Federal government knows what to do but for the fear that in
passing the amendment the state assembly and national assembly may just
take away all the immunity form the whole 74 political office holders
including the President himself hence the presidency will be very
reluctant to do it. We might as well commend the government of Aremu
Obasanjo assisting the British government in getting one of the mosquitoes
of South-South economy Gov. Peter Alademieyeseigha and by that action
saying if you must steal make sure you keep the money in Nigeria otherwise
you will be arrested in any foreign country you go because there is no
immunity for a thief outside the Federal Republic.
Relocation as Solution
With the deployment of soldiers and police to the oil producing States the
Federal government has only one option and the option may not be what the
people of oil producing States will appreciate. Can the country consider
the relocation of the South-South indigenes to some favorable areas in
some other States particularly in the North? If we can resettle the
farmers from Zimbabwe in Kwara state we can resettle our own people in
some areas of North. The affected areas for relocation will be any place
where oil is discovered the people must be relocated to another part of
the Country. As much as the people of South –South states will like the
whole world to share in their predicament blowing of gas pipes, killing
and detaining foreign investors in Nigeria is not the solution. Relocation
may be the only option to a lasting solution to the oil producing States
and Federal government in a third world country like Nigeria which economy
solely depends on crude oil otherwise we will be building a society of
warlords and lawlessness. It is extremely difficult to grant the request
of the south south unless we want to turn the rest of the country to look
like Chad Republic. It is not going to happen at least not with the
present leadership.
Conclusion
It has been argued that the first republic and the first post independence
constitution gave over 50 percent of revenue to regions, which was only
three at that time the scenario has changed. We are dealing with issue of
140 million mouths to feed in 36 states. Allocation 50 percent to only six
States out of thirty-six States of the federation is like asking for the
human blood to cook Egusi Soup in a very hungry society. It is not
feasible, it is not even reasonable and relocation of the people from
where oil is discovered to another state will be the only solution and the
construction of three more refineries to be situated in all the six
regions of Nigeria to assist not only product but to address the problem
of distribution to attain this pipeline just like it was done to get the
crude oil to kaduna must be done for three other location throughout the
federation by we will be putting the problem of oil distribution and
south-south States behind us
Kunle I
Sowunmi
kshoid@2wayexports.com
Dallas
Texas USA
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