I am very convinced that each of the six geopolitical zones can survive and developed at their own pace if the oil- pipe is cut off.
The over reliance on oil has turned the focus away from other sectors. Nationalizing the oil has made other resources either untapped or illegally tapped.
Aside being the food basket of the nation, the middle belt has a lot of other untapped or illegally tapped mineral resources.
Same goes to the north east, south east, south west, south south and north west. If not for the crisis that broke out in Zamfara, I wouldn't have known that gold mining has been going on for ages in that axis. Yet we still kill ourselves over oil money.
Why the successive governments had turned the blind eyes on this all important natural resources still remains baffling. If my mind still guides me aright, I know that gold is more valuable than oil in the international market.
Why hasn't the federal government nationalize these other resources just like oil so as to have enough revenue to tackle our developmental challenges? Why have they successively allowed few greedy individuals with their national and international collaborators to covet what rightly belongs to Nigerians all these while?
What has the ministry of mines and solid minerals been doing? Why have all the media houses been silent on these illegal activities all these while? How come helicopters have been landing in Zamfara illegal gold mines to transact businesses all these while without our aviation authorities raising dust? What have our security forces and immigration authorities been doing about foreigners to operate their?
So many question that only honest answers and selfless dispositions can solve. God has blessed us with abundant riches in this country. It is just the greediness of a few and their bid to maintain the stranglehold that is causing all these incessant crises here and there.
I daresay that if we are not ready to nationalise all the natural resources, then, let's work out modalities whereby each region keeps their's and contribute to the centre and not the other way round.
Ekwenugo Stephen
Lagos.
11th April, 2019.
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