We Mismanaged Oil Wealth - Jubril Aminu
By Lanre Issa-Onilu
Former Petroleum Minis-ter, Professor Jubril Aminu, has said that the failure of Nigerian leaders to make good use of the nation's oil wealth was a mistake and that the mismanagement has prevented the masses from enjoying the benefits.
Aminu, currently a senator, told THISDAY in an exclusive interview in Abuja that the mismanagement is a regret for every Nigerian. "It is not a regret for only me, but for every Nigerian. We have failed to take the benefit of this wealth to better the condition of the people. Not only this, it has made us to be lazy that we have left so many things undone," he said.
Recalling the efforts he made as petroleum minister which had not been sustained, Aminu said this is one of the regrets "I have about what we could have done better that we failed to do."
He said further, "if you look around, throughout the world, you will find out that most nations developed through oil. Either they owned oil or from the one they cheated from those from whom they were buying oil. Like these Western nations, they make you sell it to them at a cheap price. But every nation at one time or the other benefited improved economy through good use of oil. But in Nigeria, we have not been lucky. We have nothing to show for all the oil."
He recalled his days in the petroleum ministry, "we took some drastic steps to put Nigerians in charge of what belong to us. For the first time, Nigerians were allocated oil blocs. We have people like Mike Adenuga, the Abiola family, Arthur Eze and the rest of them. They are good in the business now."
Speaking on the June 12, 1993 presidential election believed to have been won by the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola, Aminu averred that it may have been annulled to avoid a bloody coup.
He said that the reason for the annulment had remained a mystery to him, but that he got a glimpse of what might have led to the action during the tirade between Colonel Abubakar Umar (rtd.) and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode.
"You know Umar is one person we all know who says his mind whenever he chooses to speak. So, when I read his article to Fani-Kayode where he claimed that some military officers had threatened to kill Babangida if he allowed the election to stand, then I thought I had a better understanding of what transpired."
Professor Aminu said that his belief is that with the death of Abiola, he had lost a friend and a brother.
"You know I was away in France where I had enrolled for a French lesson when the election was annulled. Although I immediately abandoned my three months old French course and rushed home to be part of the protest, but for a long time, I had wondered what could have led to such action."
Professor Aminu, who voluntarily resigned his ambassadorial posting in the United States to contest senatorial election in the April 2003 election, had stormed the house of the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola immediately he returned from France to be part of the struggle for the revalidation of the election that had just been annulled.
He reasoned that Nigerians deserved to know the full story and "I am quite sure the story will be told one day. I desire to know what led to that unfortunate action."
Speaking further on the 2007 presidential election, the former petroleum minister said that beyond Babangida, Atiku and Marwa that have shown interest in contesting the election, many more candidates will soon emerge.
"More candidates will definitely emerge. When the time draws closer, there is bound to be more candidates, either from PDP and other parties. But I am sure there will be more candidates," he said.
On whether he was also going to renew his presidential ambition, he said the stage is for gladiators, not for just every qualified candidate.
"You know I am not a gladiator. I am only a qualified candidate, but the stage is for gladiators. So, if it is about people who can do it and who are qualified then I might say yes."
He, however, said that the three candidates who have shown interest so far are capable candidates, even though he believed that the campaign is coming too early.
"President Obasanjo has said it and I think I agree with him that it is too early to start this kind of campaign now. The president has embarked on a lot of reform programmes. He needs all the cooperation he can get to carry it through, because he needs to concentrate on his programmes," he said.
Editor's Note
Full text of THISDAY's exclusive interview with Professor Jubril Aminu will be published in the next edition of THISDAY on Sunday.
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