The various oil blocs that were awarded to Nigerians in the past should be revoked, and a new oil bloc allocation that would ensure federal character principle carried out, a senator has said.
The senator insinuated that many of the oil blocs allocated in the past were done to favour persons from Northern Nigeria, many of whom have now become richer than their states and geo-political zones.
Oil blocs are awarded at the discretion of the president through the Petroleum Minister largely without any transparent process. Many past public officials, particularly those that served during the military era are today proud owners of oil blocs, with some of them selling the blocks for billions of dollars.
Ita Enang, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, on Wednesday in Abuja, advocated equitable distribution of oil bloc licences in the country.
Mr Enang claimed 83 percent of the nation's oil blocs are owned by people from the North of Nigeria.
The senator made the call during the debate on the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB on the floor of the Senate.
He was reacting to the Northern Senators' stance that the oil producing areas receive too much money from the Federation Accounts.
He said the oil blocs should be revoked and re-awarded to ensure that the federal character principle was applied in distribution of oil blocs, marginal fields and prospecting licences.
The rich oil bloc owners
Mr. Enang, who spoke with journalists after the plenary, alleged that most of the owners of the oil blocs were richer than their geo-political zone.
"Some people who own oil blocs in the North East are richer than their States. At least one person is richer than the entire six or seven states of the North East.
"Now it is still said that the Niger Delta is taking too much when one person is taking from the profit he makes from each of the oil blocs more than what even the derivation that the totality of the states are taking.
"Most of these oil blocs were awarded long ago. Most of the owners are so rich that the country becomes the poorer for it.
"We should revoke all the oil blocs, re-allocate them either through this bill (PIB) or an Act of the Executive. This is the wealth of the nation.
He accused most of the wealthy operators in the oil sector as being responsible for the theft of oil and illegal bunkering in the Niger Delta.
Mr. Enang said: "we talk about people stealing oil. Oil is not stolen with teacup.
"It is stolen with ships and it is these big persons who have these facilities that are capable of facilitating it, not the ordinary persons branded militants," he explained.
The Senator advised his colleagues to carry out thorough review of the inconsistencies in the PIB to ensure its prompt passage.
The northern senators' stance
The Northern Senators, while supporting the general principles of the PIB, insisted that certain aspects of the bill had to be amended.
They demanded a review of the 10 per cent meant for host community fund and called for the independence of the National Frontiers Exploration Agency with specific source of funding.
The senators also noted that the powers vested in the Minister of Petroleum Resources were excessive, saying "it is capable of undermining transparency and accountability in the oil sector."
They stressed the need for such powers to be whittled down before the passage of the PIB.
The debates on the PIB, which started on Tuesday at the floor of the Senate, is scheduled to continue on Thursday.
(NAN)
Comments Post a comment
" ...83% of oil blocks owned by northerners"
.
This is most revealing. Thanks to Senator Enang These same people, the Northern Islamic oligarchs who control the wealth of Nigeria are the ones who whine all the time about "NORTHERN POVERTY". They also whine about losing political power even though key posts are still held by them. One really wonders what they really want.
.
Someone should make these facts known to Clinton and other Americans who feel the "North" is marginalized. They need to know that the same people control the wealth generated by the oil industry but that their priority is not how to develop their area.
.
Worst of all, this wealth is presently used in financing terrorism rather than developing the north or anywhere else. They whine about reflecting federal character only when it sooths them.
.
FEDERAL CHARACTER IN OIL BLOCK ALOCATION IS A WONDERFUL IDEA
.
But the best idea and the best option is to get rid of the parasites. To EXCISE the Sharia North.
.
Let them have their Islamic Taliban republic and begin to work for and pay for those allocations, services and positions that are presently paid for by resources and money from other parts of Nigeria. Let them have their Islamic Taliban republic where they can practice their blood thirsty religion. Let them have their Islamic Taliban republic where they will pay the price for their delinquency. Let them have their Islamic Taliban republic where we can contain them as Israel contains the blood thirst Arab Mohammedans.
.
Now the poor families and educated youth in the region know better where to direct their anger and frustration. They now know the people who use the region to enrich themselves but wickedly deprive the same people. The Federal government should withdraw the JTF so that the masses can deal with the thieves
This oil blocs affair is one of the rots and imbalances created by the Hausa/Fulani rogue usurpers of power which must be looked into urgently.The oil blocs leash of IBB/Abacha's era runs till 2019.Infact when Chief Obasanjo came to power he created not only oil blocs but the infamous oil cabal.These one-Nigerian parasites built oil refineries in foreign countries than repair our own refineries or build new ones.They refine our stolen oil abroad and reimport it into the country. When the likes of IBB and Theophilus Danjuma talk of taking up arms to defend our oneness they don't say that out of patriotism but to defend their vested interest in our oil industry.Our N'Delta oil is their war booty. The exploitation of the South by the North is indeed far worse than that of British Colonialism.They control and own our oil industry.With their surplus States and federal character they get a lion-share of everything in the polity. That explains why the Huasa/Fulanis get migraine and stomach ache when they hear the call for Sovereign National Conference.They are scared to hell of losing their control over their Estate which by de facto our nation is. But let the one-Nigerian parasites rest assured that Lord Lugard's Amalgamation ends December 31st 2013. Automtically we will be going our separate ways after then.
This is the root of every Nigerian crises. This is the truth no one wants to say. The repair of this imbalance will spell END to all of the nations crises. To those who know this crises and hide them for so long , they're the very reason the nation have never seen peace since before and after the civil war, they're the core enemies of the nation . This is the core reason most citizens in the nation are not swayed by Dangota's claim to Africa's richest man, how can he when richness can only come as symbol to hard work. Infact it seem like most of us have taken that injustice for granted, defeated men or people have often given up almost every right to every priviledges including equality of opportunity. That the procceeds of Southern Oil is willed as right to Northern opportunists in a nation that crave for peace and tranquility is anachronistic . Problem is Northerners have never believed they're supposed to see the wisdom to share this nation equally despite they've gotten so much under different ploys since Lord Lugard and Amalgamation. The so called Arewa Youth movement have history of devide and rule, bread and butter ideology as political agenda. They have no clue what it means to let proceeds of nations cake, even when it is coming from the other part of nation, tricle down to area of derivation . Such mentality have never, and will never augur well for stability . There's no conceivable evidence that the whole of Northern war machine , from Boko Harem to Islamic fundamentalism through wherever you can find them have military or jungle war power to defeat the combined Southern citizens in any war to devide the nation. It is absolutely important to drum this fact to those in the north with limited mentality. We'ld want the nation continue to function as a united country but not as it now is or have been . Any structure for future of the nation must take account of those years of deprivation that have seen people from the North as the richest African and one of the richest man in the entire world . Like I wrote earlier before this bombshell revelation,if you shut down competetion to give one individualthe power to import and distribute essential commodity to a nationa of 160 million people, that individual, even if he's an animal will become dillionaire overnight . It is only in a nation with economy run like animal kingdom can we see such thing. Nigeria, ofcourse have produced much more animals in human skins to run governments anyways.
This is the root of every Nigerian crises. This is the truth no one wants to say. The repair of this imbalance will spell END to all of the nations crises. To those who know this crises and hide them for so long , they're the very reason the nation have never seen peace since before and after the civil war, they're the core enemies of the nation . This is the core reason most citizens in the nation are not swayed by Dangota's claim to Africa's richest man, how can he when richness can only come as symbol to hard work. Infact it seem like most of us have taken that injustice for granted, defeated men or people have often given up almost every right to every priviledges including equality of opportunity. That the procceeds of Southern Oil is willed as right to Northern opportunists in a nation that crave for peace and tranquility is anachronistic . Problem is Northerners have never believed they're supposed to see the wisdom to share this nation equally despite they've gotten so much under different ploys since Lord Lugard and Amalgamation. The so called Arewa Youth movement have history of devide and rule, bread and butter ideology as political agenda. They have no clue what it means to let proceeds of nations cake, even when it is coming from the other part of nation, tricle down to area of derivation . Such mentality have never, and will never augur well for stability . There's no conceivable evidence that the whole of Northern war machine , from Boko Harem to Islamic fundamentalism through wherever you can find them have military or jungle war power to defeat the combined Southern citizens in any war to devide the nation. It is absolutely important to drum this fact to those in the north with limited mentality. We'ld want the nation continue to function as a united country but not as it now is or have been . Any structure for future of the nation must take account of those years of deprivation that have seen people from the North as the richest African and one of the richest man in the entire world . Like I wrote earlier before this bombshell revelation,if you shut down competetion to give one individualthe power to import and distribute essential commodity to a nationa of 160 million people, that individual, even if he's an animal will become dillionaire overnight . It is only in a nation with economy run like animal kingdom can we see such thing. Nigeria, ofcourse have produced much more animals in human skins to run governments anyways.
This story is so annoying that I may die very soon contemplating over it.I think it is time to sing the "Nunc Dimitis".