From KABIRU YUSUF, Birnin Kebbi
VICE President Atiku Abubakar last weekend charged
Northern governors to concentrate on developing the agricultural sector in
order to end the persistent resource control threat from their Southern
counterparts.
According to him, the North should pay much attention to
agricultural development which it was since identified with as even experts
from Western world predicted that Nigerian oil deposit would be exhausted in
the next 30 years.
Alhaji Abubakar who stated this at a dinner organized for
him by Kebbi state government, explained that both North and South should
remember that in the 50s and 60s, Nigerian government generated 100 per cent
of its revenue from agriculture.
He, however, pointed out that for North to survive from
any threat, governors must concentrate in the development of agricultural
sector as well as provide qualitative education to the young generation who
he said are leaders of tomorrow.
�Increasingly, in this country, we are faced with several
agitations from the other part of the country demanding for the control of
their resources and so on. As a democratic government, these demands have to
be listened to and considered. If that is done, what is the fate of Northern
states?� He queried.
With the prediction of experts, oil, which now is the
major source of revenue, he said, Northern governors should realize that
agriculture and education are the only sectors that are inexhaustible
sources of wealth.
�Experts said Nigerian oil deposit will finish in the
next 30 years. So if you a student of ten years, what would happen by the
time you are 40 to 50 years when there will be no oil. If you are talking of
solid minerals, the life of every solid mineral whatever its type is not
more than 50 to 100 years. Again, you will be left with nothing�, he pointed
out.
He further charged Northern governors to prioritise
agriculture and education considering that education is the foundation of
any success. �Look at Japan, it has no oil, no mineral resources, the only
thing they got is human development and human development could only be
achieved through education. Today they are in the forefront of technology,
what they export is billions and billions of US dollars,� he stated.
The vice president, who described agriculture as the only
way out of Northern problems, explained that with agriculture, Northern
states will lack nothing in future, adding that all the Southern ports,
airports, cities were all developed with agricultural revenue because it is
a sector if fully developed will bring wealth more than oil.
He, however, commended Governor Adamu Aliero for his
outstanding performance which he said had transformed Kebbi state from rural
state into an urban one, urging the legislative and judicial arms of
governments to supplement his efforts.
