Nigeria’s economic development depends on South-South region - Bankole
Gill Nsa-Abasi, Calabar - 26.04.2009

The Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole has opined that the possibility of Nigeria’s economic development depends largely on the South-south region of the country.


Speaking at an interactive session at the 1st South-South Economic Summit, which held at the Tinapa Leisure Resort in Calabar and attended by all the governors of the region and the former prime minister of Ireland, Bertie Ahern, Bankole said the Federal Government funding in the region stands at #1.5 trillion in budgetary allocations.


According to Hon. Dimeji Bankole, oftentimes, when he found himself in such situations as he now found himself, he would struggle within himself whether to play politics or to speak from his heart.


After pleading that he should be forgiven if he spoke his mind on the occasion and not succumb to playing politics, he declared “the possibility of Nigeria developing as an economy depends on the pilot of that plane in the South South.”


According to him, “the South-South economy has a budget of about one trillion naira. In addition, the Federal Government will spend, through the Niger Delta Development Com-mission, NDDC and the Niger Delta Ministry, another 150billion naira. Also, out of the N800billion for capital projects, of which 90 per cent is spent on infrastructure, 25 per cent will come to the South. It is almost N1.4 or N1.5 trillion on 15 million Nigerians out of 135 million.”


He further reasoned that if such huge sums go to 15million people what would be left for the other 120 million Nigerians?


His words: “With the initiative of the South/South Economic Summit, it means the region is taking over because I have not heard of a South West Economic Summit or a South Economic Summit. What this means is that you are taking charge of your responsibilities. It also means that you are setting the target, which means that the rest of us will have to follow, because you own the goose that lays the golden egg. Nobody gives power, you have to take it.”


http://www.tribune.com.ng/26042009/news/news8.html

If these quotes are in context Bankole sounds a bit defeatist. We can not have an economy dependent on just petroleum. Other geopolitical zones have other strengths, Nigeria has 34 solid mineral deposits distributed across the country, in addition every state can at least make an agricultural contribution, so let's get on with it. What will we do when the wells run dry in the South South?

which held at the Tinapa Leisure Resort in Calabar and attended by all the governors of the region and the former prime minister of Ireland, Bertie Ahern, Bankole said the Federal Government funding in the region stands at #1.5 trillion in budgetary allocations.

so none of them can make a case for Tinapa but they go their every other month!

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Nobody gives power, you have to take it.”

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where is the dude that always cries marginalisation on nairaland??

If these statements were actually made by the speaker, then I hope he be left go soon. The last thing we need in that country is more division along the same line of reasoning.