10 things south-south governors could have done since 1999 to combat the effects of centralism and no resource control

Ayo Akinfe

(1) They could have floated a Niger Delta Petroleum Company to bid for oil blocks

(2) They could have built a massive refinery as Aliko Dangote has just done

(3) They could have created a regional company like Odua Investment Industries which could have bought stakes in oil companies like Shell, Total, Agip, Mobil, etc

(4) They could have opened a network of petrol stations across the country

(5) They could have built the world’s largest petrochemical company

(6) They could have purchased a network of tankers that would give them control of petrol distribution across the country

(7) They could have offered to purchase the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries

(8) They could have built three or four gas-fired power plants to generate electricity

(9) They could have gradually bought the oil blocks which the likes of TY Danjuma own in the Niger Delta

(10) They could have floated a Petroleum Bank to provide capital for local investors wishing to enter into the oil industry

Our lack of imagination as a people really irks me sometimes. We keep waiting for Abuja to do everything for us and when that fails, everything grinds to a full stop.