Bayelsa And The Heartbreaking Poverty In Riches, Despite Abundance
The Oasis Reporters
July 17, 2023
By Greg Abolo
@Theoasisreport1
@gregabolo
Taking this post on Twitter by StatiSense on POVERTY BY FOOD INSECURITY can be depressing. Why would some of these states mentioned have food security as a matter of concern?
Proportion of population
1. Bayelsa West: 89.3%
2. Bayelsa East: 81.5%
3 .Cross river North: 79.2%
4 .Ogun West: 75.1%
5. Borno North: 74.8%
6. Cross river Central: 72%
7 .Ebonyi Central: 71.6%
8 .Bayelsa Central: 71.5%
9. Benue South: 69.6%
10. Yobe South: 69.5%
POVERTY BY FOOD INSECURITY
— StatiSense (@StatiSense) July 16, 2023
Proportion of population
1 🟤Bayelsa West: 89.3%
2 🟤Bayelsa East: 81.5%
3 🟤Cross river North: 79.2%
4 🟣Ogun West: 75.1%
5 ⚫Borno North: 74.8%
6 🟤Cross river Central: 72%
7 🟢Ebonyi Central: 71.6%
8 🟤Bayelsa Central: 71.5%
9 🟠Benue South: 69.6%…
Just take a studied view of a state like California that is an Agricultural products exporter, despite being a desert state with very little water in the United States. It is definitely in the top five economies in the world.
If California were a sovereign nation (2022), it would rank in terms of nominal GDP as the world’s fifth largest economy, behind Germany and ahead of India. It’s biggest strong points are in agriculture and it’s value chain.
Just like the State of Israel. Desert nation, yet a food products exporter.
Therefore it is a sign that something is missing if states with all the great advantages from sufficient land to flowing water, suffer from what desert states would take for granted. It is therefore certain that something is missing from the equation.
But this post is going to concern itself with a certain kind of paradox.
The irony of a rich oil producing state. In the midst of it’s wealth, the people are said to be largely poor.
Bayelsa one of the state with highest allocation +derivation collected from crude oil.
— Julius Holumethey☀️🇳🇬 (@lahni007) July 16, 2023
O wrong nah
Therefore we ask, quo vadis, Bayelsa?
How will bayelsa be small with bumper allocation yet they are this poor??
— BaronKings ♟ (@Ezbaronkings) July 16, 2023
No now…no now
If Nigeria were still to be in the time that Alhaji Shehu Shagari was still Nigeria’s president when he forced a change in the Revenue Allocation Formula to recognize land mass and population as basis for sharing Nigeria’s oil wealth, one would keep his trap shut. Thus a state like Sokoto would have higher revenue because the state has more land mass with no dollars producing crude oil.
Bayelsa would have been disfavored because it has more water mass than landmass and little population. Yet, an oil producing state.
Ever since democracy dawned again in 1999, Bayelsa State took it’s pride of place with it’s extra share of 13 percent derivation fund as an oil producing state. And it ought to be the jewel of the South South. Yet it is depressing to find it in the bottom rung of underdevelopment.
It’s state capital, Yenagoa is still largely rural and cannot be compared with state capitals of the same age.
Bayelsa State may be full of water. But is the knowledge lacking to do what is seen in States surrounded by rivers, sea and lakes all over the world ?
What is really missing?
Do it’s leaders not travel to Amsterdam and other places to see what can be done on water or around it ?
Commuting from one village to the other in Bayelsa State used to be tortuous. Unless it has changed since the last two years that yours truly hasn’t been there. Wooden bridges connected one point to the other, unless you were good at gliding through narrow planks, it would have been advisable to stay on the same spot.
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Yet, the state continues to receive humongous amounts of money from oil companies who pay royalties and the federal government that dishes out so much money in terms of revenue allocations.
People largely kept quiet. The moment a Councillor, Hon. Miracle Tyna decided to swap her vehicle loan for a bridge, the global community erupted with unprecedented joy. We joined in celebrating the uncommon feat as we noticed people begging to start a GoFundMe campaign for the altruistic young lady to build more bridges for her people. But she said no.
For further reading:
https://www.theoasisreporters.com/your-car-for-a-bridge-meet-councillor-miracle-tyna-who-swapped-her-vehicle-loan-to-meet-a-need-for-her-people/
So that the strong men of Bayelsa can keep pocketing the money allocated for development.
Who knows what Bayelsa politics is keeping in stock for the young lady?
Would she still be in the equation or would they run her out of town?
But there might be the miracle of a surprise and she would play a role in the government after the upcoming elections.
We wait because strong men don’t like challenges.
May the Spectre of food hunger go far away from Bayelsa State. May it’s light shine at the end of the tunnel. May faster development come to the State.
Bayelsa adoo ee!
gregabolo@gmail.com
