It is all because of oil that certain arguments about the peace, security and even survival of Nigeria are being carried too far. Those who have continued to attribute the country’s survival and development to the presence of oil in some of its parts are not less hardened or aggressive than the others who believe that, though it is an immensely valuable resource, the oil has somehow turned out to be a kind of curse.
Whichever way any particular argument goes, the fact remains that the prestige that comes along with the possession and the resultant exploration of oil deposits is enough reason for the attachment of utmost priority to the resource. A country that is an oil producer and exporter like Nigeria is really a very big one in the world, which is the explanation and not necessarily a validation of the boastfulness of governments and peoples of all those states where oil has long been found.
The oil-rich states, most of which are in the South-South or Niger Delta region,…
Source: Leadership Newspaper
