debate trailing revenue sharing formula and resource ownership at the National Conference yesterday took another dimension when a delegate from the South-west threatened that the South would deal with the North during the forth-coming Presidential election in 2015.
The former governor of Ogun state, representing the South-west at the conference stated this when he took his turn to contribute to the debate on the reports and recommendations of the Committee on Devolution of Powers.
He said: “On the issue of resource control, those who want the status quo of 13% to remain should adopt the system of ‘rob my back and I rob your back’; otherwise we will deal with them in 2015 elections.”
But in a quick reaction, a delegate from Benue state, Dr. Magdalene Dura, reaffirmed the position of the Northern delegates when he said that the 13 per cent recommended by the committee should stand.
Dura maintained that 10 per cent should actually go to the oil producing states while 3 per cent should be given to the areas actually producing the oil.
Also speaking on the same issue, former governor of Oyo state, Senator Adewolu Ladoja told the conference that he supported the recommendations of the committee except on derivation.
He said people should stop discriminating against each other, adding that many people were using blackmail to pursue the interest of their regions and states at the conference.
While making reference to a remark by a delegate from the South-East, who complained of marginalisation, the former governor said South-east is already part and parcel of the country and they should stop discriminating against themselves.
He said: “They have the deputy senate president, deputy speaker, Finance minister, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Governor of the Central Bank, and so on. So what are you talking about?”