Those oil explorations must resume

Editor, Since it is the vogue in Nigeria that derivations are paid to States that own certain mineral resources found within their territories, it is important that those oil wells that were prospected around the Chad basin in the north should be further explored.

As it appears, Niger Republic and Chad Republic have all started prospecting oil around the same basin in their respective territories. If they start drilling, no one can be sure that our own oil reserves within the same region would not be tampered with since oil is a mineral and as liquid as water deposited beneath the ground.

It is also worthy to note that it is not only at the Chad basin that oil can be found in the north; consequently others should be explored and stepped up, Those oil wells in Anambra State should be uncorked. There is no need corking oil wells as reserves. Such action denies the State governments where they are located, their supposed entitlements; they wallow in poverty while others on the opposite steadily growing economically. Corking those wells means corking the progress of the States involved because the question of oil drying up at the other locations does not arise: Deposits beneath the ground and liquid in nature, have the tendency of channeling itself to the places where drillings are ongoing.

Secondly there should not be any mention that a well is economically not viable for 'now' if drilled because, like an expert mentioned, there is no way there would not be profit margin on any well explored, be it offshore or onshore; the only difference is that profit margins may vary from well to well.

Talking further on onshore offshore oil drillings, it should be regarded as cheating on the States involved if those onshore are neglected by the federal government because those offshore, but for the abrogation of the dichotomy which was provided during IBB's regime, would have been benefitting every State in the federation as they would have remained the exclusive preserve of the government at the centre from where revenue allocations are operated.

Alhaji Musa Salem

Aguiyi Ironsi Street

Abuja