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At a time President Olusegun Obasanjo is trying to find solution to the impasse at the National Political Reforms Conference over resource control, Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, has expressed regrets at the wrangling.
At a time President Olusegun Obasanjo is trying to find solution to the impasse at the National Political Reforms Conference over resource control, Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, has expressed regrets at the wrangling.
Particularly, the governor is disturbed by the fact that the trend of debate at the conference seems to suggest that the North is opposed to the South South's demand for a substantial increase in the percentage accruing to oil derivation principle.
Bafarawa, in a statement, discountenanced the opposition mounted by some northern delegates against the South South demand and held, instead, that the North is fully in support of the South South to said he: "There is no northern agenda against resource control. We support resource control. But the issue should be made to look pan-Nigerian."
Saying that the northern opposition has to be revisited, Bafarawa added: "Since neither the South West nor the South East produces oil, we should align with them. If they support resource control, the North will support."
For this panacea to take effect, he continued, "the issue has to be revisited once the three zones agree among themselves. Let whatever their position is prevail. That is how to make resource control a Nigerian agenda," he said. He said that the conference delegates have to not only revisit the issue, but also sit down collectively and decide, pointing out that it is not a North versus South South affair. "The decision has to be that of the conference," he submitted.
Last week, the national conference was forced to adjourn following the walkout staged by delegates from the South South over the adoption of 17 percent oil derivation principle. The zone wants at least 25 per cent conceded to it.
So far, only the South East has supported the South South cause, while the South West has kept mum.
Concerned Nigerians, including President Obasanjo, have waded into the issue, with a view to resolving it.