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| Why Northern leaders will sabotage oil exploration – Senator-elect Shehu Sani |
Sani said this was because most northern leaders have oil blocs in the Niger Delta region, using the money they are making from such blocs only for the benefit of their immediate families.
Addressing newsmen shortly after he visited facilities in the famous private residence (Arewa House ) of late Sardauna of Sokoto and premier of northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Senator –elect noted that northern leaders will not encourage oil exploration in northern region for the fear that they may lose their blocs in the Niger Delta.
This was even as he donated N.5million for the face lift of Arewa house which the Director of the house, Professor Abdulkadir Adamu had earlier told Sani about the need for individual to pump money to meet some pressing challenges in the historical centre.
Sani said, “We must also tell ourselves the truth, our political elites in northern Nigeria were never interested in exploring crude oil in Lake Chad Basin and other parts of northern Nigeria.
“Their major point of interest is how to acquire oil blocs in Niger Delta and use the wealth that is acquired for the betterment of themselves and their immediate families.
“We must also tell ourselves the truth; the northern political establishment is as guilty as President Jonathan administration in terms of the neglect of northern Nigeria. We had the opportunity in the past to use the instrument of power to develop the region, to empower our people and educate our people, but we wasted it at that very time.
“What we had in the last three to four decades was a species of rent seeking, self seeking, time serving by political elites whose pre-occupation is about retention of power and also serving themselves.”
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