Date Published: 11/15/09

Dear Editor,

Oil Dichotomy Abrogation Revelations

I have been thoroughly educated on roles played by people who believe in equity and justice; who aided the abrogation of the obnoxious on and off shore oil dichotomy. I never knew that God used the Lady of Songs, Christy Essien Igbokwe and retired Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga to that extent in the struggle, cumulative efforts which were crowned by IBB. For this it will be in the spiritual interest of present government in Akwa Ibom to appreciate those who contributed.

Why I singled out Akwa Ibom from the rest littoral States is because apart from being that the action was finally consummated on its soil, it now receives the highest federal allocation as a result.  It should see God’s hand and soft-pedal on its stand regarding the 76 oil wells which were ceded back to it from Cross River State. It should act as its brother’s keeper and bearing in mind that it had just passed a supplementary budget of N75billion this year whereas Cross River had to cut its original budget as a result of the ceded oil block.

Turning to the federal government, the militants of today are fighters for justice and equity and should be appreciated. If they did not act the way they did, the federal government would not have started thinking the way it is doing now as regards the plights of the Niger Delta region. It should be everybody’s prayer that the federal government should live up to its part of the bargain because the livelihood of the area has been destroyed by the oil exploitation and exploration. Without peace, the nation would not develop appropriately. 

Finally I urge the review of the distribution of the 13% earned by the Niger Delta States. Larger part of the fund should go direct into developing the affected communities that suffer the degradation. Presently the State governments most times misappropriate such funds through various corrupt ways

Dr. Thomas Babatunde Fawora,

185 Marina Lagos.