Northern Senators Back Down On Resource Control, State Creation

Northern Senators have changed their opposition to an increase in oil derivation from 13 per cent to 50 per cent, and now want exploration of mineral resources in the region.

The U-turn came less than a month of their rejection of the idea, and that of creation of states demanded especially by the South East.

The Northern Senators, Forum (NSF) said exploration of mineral resources in the North should also attract derivation mandated by the Constitution.

,,We cannot see why there won,t be oil in the North when a desert country like Libya has oil; when Chad and Cameroon have oil,,, a Northern Senator argued.

And ,,seriously speaking, he added, ,,none of us would oppose state creation because there are some states in the North that favour carving out states from the present arrangement.

,,For instance, in Bauchi, there is the agitation for Katagum State and in Benue, a call for the creation of Apa State. So, you can see that it pays the North to go along with the South on state creation.,,

It was also learnt that the Presidency has reached out to the NSF to co-operate on the remaining four of the six electoral reform Bills in the National Assembly (NASS).

Besides, the NSF is considering meeting with the SSF to ,,agree on areas that would be amended in the Constitution and how they would jointly benefit us. We have since realised that there is no need for friction.

,,There are certain aspects of the Constitution amendment that would benefit the entire country. So, the NSF feels there is need for both groups to meet,,, said a source who attended the NSF meeting last Thursday.

The NSF has three core areas it wants Aso Rock to concentrate on in the 2010 budget: agriculture, energy, and mineral resources.

,,We are going to tell the Presidency that more funds need to be allocated to agriculture. In the past, the North was acclaimed for its agricultural prowess. We need to regain that glory and be the food basket of the nation once more.

,,On energy, we are going to parley with the Presidency on the alternative source of energy. Nigeria can do it, because we have the resources.

,,We are looking at wind energy which can be tapped from a state like Katsina. Exploration of wind energy can work in the North just as there is crude oil in the Niger Delta