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They refused to build good hospitals, now they can’t travel abroad for treatment.

Trouble in the Senate Yesterday as Senator Ita Enang Reveal that Northerners own 80% of oil blocks

Supporters of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) pushed their case further yesterday at the Senate, with startling facts on the sector.

Senator Ita Enang (Akwa Ibom North East) described the opposition to the 10 per cent host community fund by mostly northern senators as “misplaced”.

Enang, who is also the Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, said that those opposed to the fund should know that over 83 per cent of oil blocks are owned by northerners.

But he did not give the number of oil blocks Nigeria has.

Senator David Mark, who seemed to have been shocked by what Enang said, said the Akwa Ibom lawmaker should not be distracted (some senators were grumbling) because he was making an important point.Mark asked Enang whether he could substantiate his claim.

Enang promptly pulled out a document from his folder and reeled out oil blocs and their owners.

He said he did not intend to divide the country but to guide those who wanted to contribute to the debate to be truly informed.

He listed northerners who own oil blocks to include Alhaji Mai Deribe, Borno State and owner of Cavendish Petroleum, which operates OML 110 with an average of about N4billion monthly.

He also listed Seplat/Platform Petroleum, operators of the ASUOKPU/UMUTU Marginal Field with Mallam (Prince) Sanusi Lamido, Kano , as a major shareholder and director.

South Atlantic Petroleum Limited (SAPETRO) established by General T. Y. Danjuma, Taraba State , who is also chairman of Eni Nigeria Limited.

SAPETRO partnered with Total Upstream Nigeria Limited (TUPNI) and Brasoil Oil Services Company Nigeria Limited to become operators of the OPL 246.

AMNI International Petroleum and Development Company is owned by Alhaji (Colonel) Sani Bello of Kontangora , Niger State.

“They are operators of OML 112 and OML 117,” he said.

He said that a former Petroleum Minister and former OPEC Chairman, Rilwanu Lukman, another northerner manages AMNI oil blocks “with very key interest in the NNPC/Vitol trading deal.”

He said that Oriental Energy Resources Limited, a company owned by Alhaji Indimi, runs three oil blocks – OML 115, the Oldwok field and the Ebok field.

He said that Alhaji Aminu Dantata’s Express Petroleum and Gas Limited, operates OML 108.

Enang said that OML 113 allocated to Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum Limited is owned by Alhaji W.I. Folawiyo. Alhaji Saleh Mohammed Gambo, North East Petroleum Limited, is the holder of the OPL 215 Licence.

North East Petroleum was awarded blocs OPL 276 and OPL 283 and closing thereupon a Joint Venture Agreement with Centrica Resources Nigeria Limited and CCC Oil and Gas.

He said that INTEL is owned by former Vice President Atiku, the late Gen. Shehu Musa Yar’Adua and Ado Bayero. It has substantial stakes in Nigeria ’s oil exploration industry both in Nigeria and Sao Tome and Principe .

He said that Mike Adenuga’s Conoil is the oldest indigenous oil exploration company with six blocks. OPL 291 was awarded to Starcrest Energy Nigeria Limited, owned by Emeka Offor, which was sold to Addax Petroleum.

Enang urged the Senate to cause the immediate revocation of all oil blocks licences and their redistribution, in accordance with the Federal Character Principle.

He said: “My submission is that when you look at the distribution of those who own oil blocks and the amount of money that comes from the different oil blocks to the Federation Account and you see the owners of these oil blocks, you will agree with me that there is inequity in the distribution of oil blocks.

“The oil is produced in the Niger Delta yet it is the people of the Northeast and the Northwest and a little of the Northcentral, almost nothing of the Southwest and the Southeast, that are the persons owning and controlling these oil blocks.

“Almost nothing for the Southsouth, Niger Delta oil producing areas.

“They are quarreling with the area that takes just 13 per cent when you are producing the entire 100 per cent, you give some to the Federation Account and they give only 13 per cent of what you give and, of course, it is whatever you declared that you have produced. It is actually produced by you.

“I did not want to introduce something that is divisive.

“It is not intended to divide the country, it is intended to say ‘look, let us be realistic’.

“What some of the oil wells and the owners of the oil wells produce in a month and take as profit is sometimes more than what two or three states receive from the Federation Account.”

Enang noted that “when a group of people are richer than a state and then it is produced by you, then there is so much opposition that even the people who suffer the effect of the oil production should not be give host communities’ fund; and we have explained that the host communities fund is not only for the oil producing; it is for any of the communities that hosts oil infrastructure, which includes oil pipelines, refineries, gas pipelines and anything that is capable of causing danger.”

“If we had the host communities fund, the danger that we have been having in Arepo in Ogun State, the area would have benefited from the host communities fund.”

Enag said that other areas, such as Kaduna and some other states, will benefit from it.

He went on: “If you are producing and declaring only what you like and only the 10 per cent now being provided for the host communities and the 13 per cent which is after deducting everything, that cannot be in the interest of the country.

“What I am asking now is that oil blocs in the whole country should be revoked and redistributed according to Federal Character Principle.

“We are not saying that we in the Southsouth should have all or the Southeast should have all or the Southwest should have all.

“In fact, if there are 18 oil blocs or 36 oil blocks, we don’t mind that you give us at least four, Northeast four, Southeast four, Northwest four.

“At least, let there be equity, but then there should be the principle of who owns it and then you give us more.

“But at this time, we don’t even have it. The 13 per cent is what we are even suffering to sustain.”

Senator Olufemi Lanlehin (Oyo South) praised the maturity of Senators in considering the bill.

He urged the Senate to look at the “absolute and sweeping powers” granted the President in Section 191 of the bill.

The Section, he said, gives the President absolute and unqualified powers to grant petroleum licences to whoever he pleases.

Lanlehin prayed the Senate to use the opportunity of the bill to design a template that would grow the economy.

Senator Adegbenga Kaka (Ogun East) said he was supporting the bill with mixed feelings.

He noted that the trend of the debate seemed to indicate that senators were more concerned about how to share the cake and not how to bake it.

Kaka said the power granted the minister of petroleum in the bill should be reconsidered “so that we don’t give too much power to the minister.”

The lawmaker who insisted that the bill should be finetuned, said certain percentage of earnings should be set aside to fix electricity, agriculture and other infrastructure.

Senator Mohammed Goje (Gombe Central) said before the debate, he was completely against the bill.

He said the trend of the debate showed that the Senate was poised to do justice to the bill by removing offensive sections.

To him, it seems a consensus is being built around certain sections of the bill.

He noted that most contributors agreed that the power of the minister should be reduced, such that the minister will just be like any other minister.

Goje said: “We should not create a super minister.”

He said that definite provision should be made for frontier exploration, especially adequate funding.

He opposed 10 per cent host community fund.

Senator Barnabas Gemade (Benue North East) described the bill as very important and long overdue.

Gemade said an adage says: “Wherever you find oil, corruption creeps in and wherever you find diamond war emerges.”

He said the adage had been proved to be true.

Gemade said the bill contained good and bad provisions. He listed the good sections to include development of the gas sector, increase in promotion of local content and the unbundling of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The bad sections, he said, include the minister’s economic power.

On the host community fund, Gemade said efforts should be made to ensure that it does not degenerate to very poor management of resources as it is, according to him, in the Niger Delta Development Commission, 13 per cent derivation and others.

On the frontier exploration, he said more effort should be geared towards discovering oil in other places.

Senator Akin Odunsi ( Ogun West) described the bill as the most important legislation before the National Assembly.

Odunsi noted that the bill becomes even more important when it is recognised that the country runs a mono economy based on oil.

The lawmaker cautioned against undue sentiment in the consideration of the bill.

He agreed that the bill was not perfect but posited that it could be fine-tuned to engender development.

Senator Abdulahi Adamu (Nasarawa West) said he was giving the bill “a reserved support”.

Adamu expressed worry about the absence of transparency and accountability in the oil sector.

He said the bill appears to contradict the Constitution (as amended), especially when it is recognised that oil and gas as well as other minerals are in the Exclusive List and under the control of the Federal Government.

The lawmaker cautioned about the unbundling of the NNPC in order not to put up the corporation for outright purchase by wealthy Nigerians.

On the host community fund, Adamu said the provision would create the fourth tier of government.

To Senator Gbenga Ashafa (Lagos East), the bill will be counter productive in its present form. He demanded the definition of host community.

Ashafa said pipelines burst at times not because of vandalisation but because of the integrity of the pipes.

Senator Ayogu Eze said his support for the bill stemmed from the realization that the oil sector should be reformed.

Eze highlighted issues of details in the bill, which, he said, should be addressed at the committee and public hearing levels.

It was obvious that most northern Senators were not comfortable with what Enang said.


But the main question at hand is why should the ownership of some of the sources of the country's revenue and wealth be allotted to private individuals? I've never seen this practiced in other countries. This is unbelievable and unfair to ordinary Nigerians.

Plan is underway in SE against the evil exclusion of entire South East in FG loan of 22.7 billion dollars.

I pity the Gypsies, they are hated so much in Europe and they are not helping theirselves, very lazy, dirty and prefer to beg rather than to work and earn income. Other Europeans prefer Africans that Gypsies.

Ambazonia will emerge as a country,time will tell.

Biafra loading

ugolinze123:
I am very pissed and angry right now as I write this piece about what happened to my brother last week friday in Canada.

According to him, he had placed an ad on a popular website about a room he had for rent in his apartment which someone had signified an interest in the said room on the website and they started to chat on email on how to make payment, now this guy said he was in the US but a permanent residence in Canada and he will be back the the next week but he wanted him to keep the room for him so his gonna have to send him a check that his brother who is in Canada will have to help him transport his properties down to my brothers apartment.

So he sent the check and my brother confirmed it because he was able to pay it into his bank and he could see the money already but the bank can only allow a withdrawal of 50% of the amount pending when the check is fully processed which takes up to 5working days.

After his own supposedly confirmation because he was ignorant of the 5working days thing from the bank and because he was able to pay it in his bank account he believed it was real, so this fraudster then asked him for a favour to help him transfer a particular sum from the money to his supposedly brother who is to help him transport his supposed luggages and also remove his own charges and the money for rent which he did. He sent 1500CAD

The next morning he e-mailed my brother again asking for another help that his brother who was transporting the said luggage had an accident on there way with pictures of prove that he had exhausted cash with him and he was going to send him another check but this time he should take 200CAD out of the total amount for the kind gesture and help him send whatever balance the bank are willing to let go to his brother for their medical bills and keep all the balance for him. na so my brother send another money. 2500CAD.

Mind you all this transfer was done via email according to him, don't really know how that works in Canada though but he sent a total of 4000CAD to a Nigerian Yahoo boy.

On the third day of all these, he got a negative from his bank according to him a debit of 4000CAD and he filed a complain and was told those checks were fake.
He emailed this guy and this guy dey tell am say another person go pay am, him don collect him own share that he should work harder and with time he will get over it..that his even lucky he got a sorry from him after all.

So he was advice by the bank to file a complain at the police which he has done and also asked to swear an oat that his not a part of it, that if after investigation and his found Innocent he will be paid back the said amount as a scammed victim but it's a 50/50 thing.
So I want to ask our gurus in the house. How can one trace an IP or handle this kind of thing because we are very kin in finding this guy at all cost and make him a scape goat.

Now I understand what it means to be in the shoes of these white folks being robbed everyday off there hard earned funds by Nigerians who call themselves Yahoo, how can you sleep well robbing someone off there suffering for years and you think it can be well with you. It can never be, nemesis will surely catch up with you someday even if not in your generation you will surely pay for it, this is really bad and should never be condoned. I know how this my brother works his ass up everyday and the funny part is that his a student.

Am writing this so others can be very careful when dealing with people with checks and any other means of payment abroad.
Fraud is murder it kills the victim fast let's stop condoning it.

Nawa oo your brother is careless sha, just sending money to someone you don’t know

Sammy07:
I think OP has been smoking Igbo since 1900AD.


Lagos is not Yoruba land.

Odingo, I'm sure you've never been to Lagos

If No, pls tell me which area is called Lagos and which area is Oba of Lagos ruling over

Cc: Sunshineg5

Lagos in mainly Lagos Island in which Oba of lagos is ruling.

Go and read your history, stop taken lagos-Ibadan media propaganda hook and sink.

Ijaw people are the first people to occupy the river-line area of Lagos followed by Egun people from Togo/Benin Repulic and finally Ilajes and Aworis. Yorubas migrated in droves to lagos after the British conquest of Eko in which they defeated the Bini Kidgdom ruling over it with the Bini name Eko and renamed it Lagos (the name lagos mean dustbin in portugese language from where they derived the name) and allow the migrant Yorubas to have upper hand because the British want to weaken the indigenous people from resisting British rule in lagos.

There is no indiginous yoruba person in Lagos. All of them migrated from hinterland to lagos. Tinubu is from Osun. Ambode is from Ogun. Fashola is from Ibadan. Sanwo Olu is from Ondo. All yorubas in lagos are migrant and they know that.

However the present day Lagos belong to Yorubas because they have conquered it, it is left for them to hold it tight because fulanis will surely test the waters.

Amarabae:
Ijaw community in Lagos state?

Go and read your history, stop taken yoruba propaganda hook and sink.

Ijaw people are the first people to occupy the river-line area of Lagos followed by Egun people from Togo/Benin Repulic and finally Ilajes and Aworis. Yorubas migrated in droves to lagos after the British conquest of Eko in which they defeated the Bini Kidgdom and renamed it Lagos(the name lagos mean dustbin in portugese language from where they derived the name) and allow the migrant Yorubas to have upper hand because the British want to weaken the indigenous people from resisting British rule in lagos.

There no indiginous yoruba person in Lagos. All of them migrated from hinterland to lagos. Tinubi is from Osun. Ambode is from Ogun. Fashola is from Ibadan. Sanwo Olu is from Ondo. All yorubas in lagos are migrant and they know that.

Reason why Yorubas want one Nigeria. Only Lagos should work and no other place, so that they can chest beat.

Nonsense statistics,all this state can pay workers,borrowing up and down,begging fg for bailout. Osun and Ogun on half pay.

SW should stop disturbing us with their fake IGR things

10k to 50k per test, Covid-19 is yielding more than oil now in Nigeria

Gabkosh:
Na wa for you o. out of 23, 7 were no Yoruba, While in your region, out of 26 9 were non igbo. And you are here shouting Yoruba marginalizing minority. I hope the minorities are not blind to see it now.

No Akoko, Ondo, Akure, and other many clans of Yorubas were not represented. But no one is crying.

You are shooting yourself on the foot mr.

7 assistant positions ,that one na post abi nobi take this inferior position and stop disturbing us while in eastern region, minorities have 9 important positions not a mere assistant.

Sunshineg5:
When I have a comprehensive list of industries built in the mid west, I would do this with you.

No Yoruba man will contemplate of building anything outside Yoruba area. They practice most tribalism in Nigeria.

If you post fake concocted news, we will tackle you with fact.

Great work, keep on exposing these chameleons for what they are. What the SW want is only what favour them. Imagine what they did to mid-westerners giving them only assistant post and corner everything to Ibadan. They just want one Nigeria for chest beating, so that they will keep telling you how Lagos is the best in Nigeria despite been built by Nigeria collective wealth.

People that drive joy that their country Nigeria have one single international airport and seaport located in one state than to have such in other places.

Gem gem

paulolee:
lagos is a country itself....if lagos state seperate from Nigeria n stands on its own....it would do well than most African country n even better than the xo called giants of africa( i no call any name oo)

And the entire SW is jittery about Biafra

Lagos Ibadan Express way newspapers, that is why they want one Nigeria so that they will be chest beating on Nigerians collective sweat.

A vast country that have only 1 functional international airport and seaports in one state.

Afonjas will hide

Nonsense