We appear to have forgotten that the current petrol crisis has been exacerbated by petroleum output falling to 1.5m barrels a day from our traditional figure of 2.5m barrels. Here are 10 things our south-south governors could have done to avert the proble

Ayo Akinfe

[1] They could have floated a Niger Delta Petroleum Company to bid for oil blocks

[2] They could have built a massive refinery as Aliko Dangote has just done

[3] They could have created a regional company like Odua Investment Industries which could have bought stakes in oil companies like Shell, Total, Agip, Mobil, etc

[4] They could have opened a network of petrol stations across the country

[5] They could have built the world’s largest petrochemical company

[6] They could have purchased a network of tankers that would give them control of petrol distribution across the country

[7] They could have offered to purchase the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries from the NNPC

[8] They could have built three or four gas-fired power plants to generate electricity

[9] They could have gradually bought the oil blocks which the likes of TY Danjuma own in the Niger Delta

[10] They could have floated a Petroleum Bank to provide capital for local investors wishing to enter into the oil industry

Ayoakinfe@gmail.com