Oil Discovery: North No Longer A Parasite – Ex-Governor Aliyu

Former governor of Niger State, Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu has hit back at those he claimed always attacks the North as parasite for contributing “little” to the commonwealth.

He said such persons should hide their heads in shame now that the region has discovered oil in commercial quantities.

Speaking during the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation 9th Annual Lecture and Awards in Lafia, Nasarawa State, he said such comments were intended to blackmail the North despite being the largest contributor to the country’s economy during the post-independence era.

Aliyu who is the chairman of Board of Trustees of Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation said it was the proceeds from the North’s groundnuts that were used to develop the country’s crude oil which later become the main revenue earner.

He said now, the North has joined the league of oil producing regions with the discovery of crude in Kogi, Nasarawa and Gombe states.

Aliyu stated that from available data, the crude discovered in Nasarawa is more than those of the three states in the Niger Delta combined.

He said exploration activities in Bida and Sokoto basins have also shown positive signs of the existence of crude.

He noted that by the time the ongoing exploration works are concluded, the entire North would be sitting on oil.

He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his foresight in initiating high-impact exploration work in the inland basins.

He said the president has changed the narrative with the discovery of crude deposits in the Gongola Basin (Gombe/Bauchi) and later, the Middle Benue Trough.