Can the north survive without the Niger-Delta oil? (Page 3)

WHAT I HAVE DISCOVERED OVER THE YEARS IS THAT OIL IN PARTICULAR IS A CURSE! LOOK AROUND THE WORLD AND YOU WILL FIND THAT MOST DEVELOPED NATIONS WERE'NT OIL PRODUCING NATIONS. JAPAN, US, UK, RUSSIA, GERMANY... YOU NAME THE REST. BUT WAIT A MINUTE, WHAT IS THE FATH OF THOSE ARAB OIL GIANTS? WAR, LAZINESS, FEAR, MONARCHY, ETC. OR BETTER STILL, WHAT CAN THEY ACTUALLY OFFER THE WORLD? OIL...IN IT CRUDE FORM I GUESS. VERTUALLY NOTHING, NOT EVEN REFINING TECHNOLOGY. FOR YOUR INFORMATION, ADVANCED COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD ARE MORE FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING THEIR HUMAN RESOURCE AND NOT OIL, AS IT IS THE ONLY SUSTAINABLE MEANS OF DEVELOPMENT. ONLY LAZY PEOPLE THINK ABOUT MAKING MONEY FROM RESOURCES, WHICH OFCOURSE IT IS BY COINCIDENCE THAT THEY HAPPEN TO BE THERE, IT COULD HAVE BEEN THE NORTHERNERS IN THE NIGER DELTA.

MY FRIEND, IF YOU THINK NIGERIAN MASSES AS A WHOLE (NOT TALKING ABOUT THE NORTH FOR NOW) ARE SURVIVING ON OIL, THEN THINK AGAIN. GO AROUND THE VILLAGES AND TELL ME ANY SIGN OF OIL DOLLARS. FOR YOUR INFORMATION, MOST NATIONS WITHOUT OIL ARE DOING BETTER THAN THEIR OIL PRODUCING COUNTER-PARTS.

AGAIN, IF THE NIGER DELTA PEOPLE WHERE TO BE LEFT TO CONTROL THEIR OIL???, THEN THEY WOULD HAVE SEEN THE END OF PEACE, COS EVERY VILLAGE AND HELMET WOULD WANT TO CONTROL THEIR SO-CALLED OIL. INFACT NIGER DELTA WILL DIS-INTEGRATE INTO SEVERAL AUTONOMOUS COUNTRIES...GOD FORBID.

LASTLY, AS A NORTHERNER, I WOULD LIKE TO SINCERELY ADVISE THE NIGER DELTA PEOPLE TO EXPLORE THE OPTION OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN THE AREA OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AGRICULTURE AS A VERITABLE MEANS OF LIBERATING THEMSELVES FROM THEIR PREDICAMENT AND EQUALLY FOCUSE ON MORAL RE-ORIENTATION OF THEIR YOUNG ONES SO THAT THEY DON'T GROW UP IN THE LIGHT OF PEOPLE LIKE ODILI, DSP ALA AND ALL THOSE NIGER DELTA GOVERNORS THAT HAVE STOLEN THEIR STATE ALLOCATIONS AND DEPOSITED IN FOREIGN ACCOUNTS, LIVING THEIR PEOPLE WITH GUNS, POVERTY AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION. AS FOR WE THE NORTHERNERS, OUR GRAND FATHERS LIVED BETTER AND IN A MORE PEACEFUL NORTH WITHOUT OIL THAN WE ARE LIVING NOW WITH OIL. IT WILL BE OUR PLEASURE TO RE-EXPERIENCE THE PAST. ATLEAST WE HAVE PLENTY FOOD TO EAT AND LAND TO BUILD HOUSES AND FARM. BESIDES WE HAVE PLENTY OF RESOURCES THAT WE COULD DEVELOP AND MAKE TWICE AS MUCH AS NIGERIA IS MAKING FROM OIL! WHO SAYS THERE IS NO OIL AND GAS IN THE NORTH??? ONLY TIME SHALL TELL.

THE NIGER DELTA PEOPLE SHOULD TAKE IT EASY, OIL IS NOT EVERYTING AND NOT HAVING IS NOT THE END OF HOPE. A WORD IS ENOUGH FOR THE WISE!

SHAMSUDDEEN MAHMOUD
[email protected]

It's always hilarious to me when people talk about reverting Nigeria to an agrarian economy.It strikes me as mastery of ignorance.Although,for the sake of internal food security,I am not against people engaging in agricultural activities.But I see any talk of making agriculture the mainstay of our economy as backward,retrogressive,naive,myopic & out of sync with contemporary existential realities of International political economy.Anybody who knows the price of primary goods or products in the international market will not say this.When other states are talking about shifting their focus from 'mere' manufacturing (a stage we ve not yet gotten to)to service provision,someone is here talking about a primary economy.
Agriculture in Development Studies or Development Economics,falls under what we call traditional economy.This is the lowest stage of economic development.This was the stage Europe & America was before the Industrial Revolution.This was the stage that caused slave-trade.We are talking about a time before the 18th century.Pls,U should take classes on Economic History.

Now,let's talk about the North and agriculture,assuming that I accept ur argument.What are the implements U hope to use?Pls dont tell me U want to continue the practice of using OIL MONEYS to buy fertilizers that some emirs & Local officials will steal & sell,cus it wont work.The recent Fertilizer scandal is still fresh in every in every informed mind.Or do U intend to buy tractors and other equipment on credit?

Let's also assume all of these huddles ve been successfully crossed,how many months will u take to reap ur harvest?And while waiting for harvest,what ll u be leaving on?I just dont know why people come up with things like this.

Now,in fairness to the North,there are many solid minerals in the North.All the 19 States in Northern Nigeria are blessed with one Solid Mineral or the other.They ve Gold,Copper,Bitumen,Iron ore,Zinc,Limestone,Granite,Tin etc.However,they ve wickedly left all these & more to concentrate on Niger Delta Oil.They want to suck the Niger Delta people dry before they ll start exploring and exploiting their own Natural resources.They want to make sure there is nothing left for the Niger Delta people.They want to make sure future generations of Niger Deltans become their slaves.As harsh as my analysis is,U all know it's the gospel truth.Let me not detain U any further,I'll rest my case now.

In conclusion,until the North start to tap its own many untouched resources,it cant not live without Niger Delta Oil.Until WE NORTHERNERS decide to stop our parasitic mannerism & look inwardly to provide our needs,OUR leaders should SHUT UP!Their salaries & all the moneys they steal everyday come from the Niger Delta.