CAN WE ALSO HAVE "EXCESS GOLD ACCOUNT"?

By Ekenyong Isaiah

Until the recent war in Zamfara State where a lot of citizens of that state have been killed and properties destroyed, 95% of Nigerians never knew that Nigeria is a Gold producing country with value equal to that of oil. Nigerians had no knowledge that there are a lot of gold deposits in Zamfara  State and that it is privately being mined by natives of Zamfara State and some few foreigners contracted to mine it by God knows who.

For those who may not know, gold is about $41 USD per killo which makes it a high valued commodity. In fact, the South African economy is dependent on Gold and Diamond mining and 1/3 of South African export for foreign exchange is gold. South Africa is more developed than Nigeria, she has no oil but gold and Diamond and that is where other Africans including Nigerians are running to, to be killed like fowl.  Nigeria has both oil and gold.

Oil was discovered in Oloibiri currently in Bayelsa State, Niger Delta in 1956 and immediately made an exclusive product and commodity that can only be mined my the federal government of Nigeria. The attempt by Nigerians in Niger Delta to either participate in mining this oil found in their land has seen to a lot of them being killed and their properties destroyed by federal trrops. The quest by Nigerian government to freely mine oil in Niger Delta without any hindrance have seen to the killing of people like Ken Saro-wiwa, Adaka Boro and other Niger Delta leaders. For the sake of oil, the Nigerian government had to cede Bakasi penisular to Cameron, for the sake of oil, elections in Niger Delta states have been so violent because every president in power wants to control Niger Delta oil. In this present dispensation, Muhammadu Buhari a farmer and president of Nigeria, have made himself minister of petroleum. Oil in Niger Delta is exclusively for the federal government and outsiders, indigenes of this areas oil is found can never go close to it else, crocodile will smile.

There is an "EXCESS Crude Account" where EXCESS money derived from sales of oil outside statutory budget  appropriations are kept. One important thing about this account is that the money in it is never used to develop the place for which this oil is mined, rather, the two times we have heard about the removal of money from it, has been to fight insurgency in the north. The first being the $2billion USD Dasuki saga and the second being the $1billion USD removed by Buhari for the same purpose for which the military have told us, they have not received such money for arms purchase.

While revenues from oil has kept this country afloat over the years, while oil is still the reason why Nigeria is still one, while oil is exclusively mined by federal government and the allocation of oil blocks exclusively done by federal government to mostly non indigenes of Niger Delta, WHY IS GOLD PRIVATELY MINED IN ZAMFARA STATE? We know companies like Shell, Total and the rest mining oil in Niger Delta, WHICH COMPANIES ARE MINING GOLD IN ZAMFARA STATE? All revenues from oil goes to the federal government and is made known to everybody, HOW MUCH REVENUE IS MADE FROM GOLD IN NIGERIA AND WHERE DOES IT GO TO? Since oil blocks are mainly allocated to outsiders in Niger Delta, PLEASE CAN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ALLOCATE A PORTION OF LAND FOR ME TO MINE GOLD IN ZAMFARA STATE AS AN OUTSIDER THERE? Please, This is my notice of request.

Finally, since there is an "EXCESS Crude Account" which is mainly used to tackle problems in the north, PLEASE, can there be "EXCESS GOLD ACCOUNT" ,  whose funds will used to tackle problems in the south?

PLEASE, CAN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MAKE AVAILABLE REVENUES FROM GOLD TO BE USED TO SEARCH FOR GOLD DEPOSITS IN THE SOUTH, JUST LIKE WHAT NNPC IS DOING IN THE NORTH ?

Can we have 'Nigerian National Gold Corporation (NNGC)' , whose heads will be mainly from the south?

Nigeria is for all of us, what is good for the goose, is good for the gander.

Ekpenyong Isaiah
Commander, Infantry Pen Battallion.