Former Governor of Niger State, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, has celebrated the recent discovery of oil in commercial quantities in Kogi, Nasarawa, and Gombe States. He criticized those who label the North as a parasite for contributing “little” to the commonwealth, claiming that such comments were intended to blackmail the region, which is actually the largest contributor to the country’s economy during the post-independence era.
Aliyu, who is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, said that it was the proceeds from the North’s groundnuts that were used to develop the country’s crude oil, which later became the main revenue earner. He explained that the crude discovered in Nasarawa is more than that of the three states in the Niger Delta combined, according to available data.
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his foresight in initiating high-impact exploration work in the inland basins. He noted that exploration activities in Bida and Sokoto basins have also shown positive signs of existence of crude. Aliyu predicted that by the time the ongoing exploration works are concluded, the entire North would be sitting on oil.