OIL BLOCK OWNERSHIP EMBARRASMENT : Arewa Consultative Forum dares NASS to initiate probe

LAGOS — The Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, has challenged the National Assembly to institute an inquiry towards verifying the assertion that 83 per cent of the nation’s oil blocs were in the control of northerners.
The ACF in a statement made available to Vanguard, yesterday, said the claim was astounding given a recent publication of ForbesMagazine that the majority of the 11 Nigerian billionaires in its roll were southerners.
The ACF in the statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Anthony Sani, said Alhaji Aliko Dangote, a northerner, was the only one on the list who did not make his money from oil.
The statement was upon a claim in the Senate, Wednesday, by Senator Ita Enang, PDP, Akwa Ibom North-East that 83 per cent of oil blocs were in the control of northerners.
Responding to the assertion, the ACF through in the statement said:
“Given the important constitutional provisions that access to all national resources be equitable and conform with provisions for federal character, ACF wishes to appeal to the National Assembly to investigate the allegations and publish the distribution of oil blocs according to state together with their volume and from which dates. Or the Federal Government should institute a commission of inquiry to establish the veracity or otherwise of such allegations.”
“ACF is alarmed by the allegations  because it is not long ago that the Forbes magazine said eleven Nigerians are now on the list, and that all of them-except Dangote who is a manufacturer-owe their riches to oil. The North had fewer of the rich Nigerians on the list than the South.”
“We believe knowledge of the correct position of things will help in improving the equitable management of oil blocs in accordance with provisions of the federal character for performance and public good.”