* Says
oil may be irrelevant in few years
oil may be irrelevant in few years
The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Mathew Hassan
Kukah, Tuesday said the discovery of abundant mineral resources in the north
would not solve its problems, warning that the region would continue to have
re-occurrence of Boko Haram insurgency if people do not acquire the needed
education to be able to participate in the affairs that affect their lives.
Kukah, Tuesday said the discovery of abundant mineral resources in the north
would not solve its problems, warning that the region would continue to have
re-occurrence of Boko Haram insurgency if people do not acquire the needed
education to be able to participate in the affairs that affect their lives.
He also urged the political leadership to stop wasteful spending
of public resources, warning that the United States and Europe are now developing
new oil and gas technology to render Nigerian oil redundant.
of public resources, warning that the United States and Europe are now developing
new oil and gas technology to render Nigerian oil redundant.
Speaking at a workshop in Sokoto, Kukah stated that the people
of the North must be prepared to face the challenges of modernity by acquiring
education or face a bleak future.
of the North must be prepared to face the challenges of modernity by acquiring
education or face a bleak future.
He expressed concern that the North could not effectively
participate in a way and manner that would benefit the majority of its people
because the area seemed unprepared to cope with the changing world in almost
all spheres of life.
participate in a way and manner that would benefit the majority of its people
because the area seemed unprepared to cope with the changing world in almost
all spheres of life.
Kukah decried that people were still being lured into believing
that all they needed was to raise walls to protect their culture and religion
to their detriment.
that all they needed was to raise walls to protect their culture and religion
to their detriment.
“There is the temptation for the North to think that the
discovery of huge mineral deposits will solve their problems automatically
without giving priority to education. People are still being lured into
believing that all they need is to raise walls to protect their culture and
faith.
discovery of huge mineral deposits will solve their problems automatically
without giving priority to education. People are still being lured into
believing that all they need is to raise walls to protect their culture and
faith.
“People must be prepared to face the challenges of
modernity. And if the society does not consciously open up, it will continue to
have repeats of miniature Boko Harams, men prepared to seduce their people to
the wilderness using religion,” he advised.
modernity. And if the society does not consciously open up, it will continue to
have repeats of miniature Boko Harams, men prepared to seduce their people to
the wilderness using religion,” he advised.
He emphasised that the political leadership must wake up to the
fact that oil was now being discovered in almost every country, saying in the
next three years, the US would no longer need Nigerian oil.
fact that oil was now being discovered in almost every country, saying in the
next three years, the US would no longer need Nigerian oil.
Kukah stressed the need for government to chart a pathway for
the exploitation of mineral resources in the country, as a way out of the
impending doom.
the exploitation of mineral resources in the country, as a way out of the
impending doom.
He advised government to focus on manpower development and
training of the youths, women and other segments of the society.
training of the youths, women and other segments of the society.
Source: Thisday
