So, what say you?
Showing posts with label Niger Delta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Niger Delta. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
And the Winner is....
So it seems China's about to beat Russia to the finish line for Nigeria's oil reserves, at a whopping $30bn+... And all this without the consent/ buy-in of the Nigerian people. God bless our country! Skeptics (of which there are many) doubt the benefits of this new deal with CNOOC will trickle down to the populace, and wonder whether this new regime of oil miners will be better than the last (given the Chinese' notoriety of importing their own staff into any venture they undertake). While Libya and Angola are currently pushing back on China's plans to take over more oil reserves in their countries, it is important to note that "more than $10 billion of contracts with Nigeria signed in 2006 -- including renovation of a railway, the refurbishment a refinery and the launch of a satellite -- didn't produce results." In the meantime, it looks like MEND is voicing its vote against the alleged deal.
So, what say you?
So, what say you?
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Bloggers Unite For Human Rights
Thanks for encouraging us to get on this, Solo!
Today the BA boycott begins! Once again, just a reminder that KLM and Lufthansa have waived the schengen transit visa requirement for passengers who have a valid visa for their final destination. Vote with your feet, wallet, mouths and whatever else you've got. Vote whichever way you want, but stand for something!
I can't call what the outcome of this boycott against BA will be, but even if a handful of Nigerians come together and actively take a stance against the illtreatment of our compatriots, then we would have achieved something.
But today, as bloggers around the world focus on Human Rights Issues, I would like to call on those passionate individuals who have answered this "call to arms" to put things in perspective. As we rally against illtreatment of paying BA customers and Nigerian deportees wherever, let us remember to rally with our brothers and sisters not too far away in Sudan, Somalia and Zimbabwe for starters. As we have screamed "foul" from the top of our lungs against "Brutish Airways", let us (ME, for starters) replenish our voice boxes to scream "NO WAY" to Mugabe's unfair call for a presidential run-off vote, "NOT ON OUR WATCH" to the humanitarian crises in Somalia and in the Sudan (particularly, Darfur), to name a few. Myanmar and China will get the airtime they deserve, but these injustices won't.
Let us remember to save some air in our lungs for those living in the Niger Delta. When do we "boycott" Shell, Mobil and Chevron? When ONE person is poisoned by toxic waste from oil company operations? Well, in that case, the boycott should have begun decades ago.
Oh, and if nothing but a short breath is saved for the "Child witches" in Akwa-Ibom, that would still make a difference.
As Nigerians test their ability to "unite against mistreatment", let's start to think of ways we can unite against murder, environmental racism, genocide, and civil war and child trafficking. Macroissues, way bigger than you and me. But we are THE largest black population in the world, so I'd say we have more than a critical mass. What's missing is the will and the "how". And I sure as heaven don't have the answers. But for today, I'll start by telling ONE MORE person about JUST ONE of these issues, and learning ONE MORE thing about a human rights violation occuring today and how JUST ONE PERSON out there CAN make a difference.
HAPPY BOYCOTTING!
Today the BA boycott begins! Once again, just a reminder that KLM and Lufthansa have waived the schengen transit visa requirement for passengers who have a valid visa for their final destination. Vote with your feet, wallet, mouths and whatever else you've got. Vote whichever way you want, but stand for something!
I can't call what the outcome of this boycott against BA will be, but even if a handful of Nigerians come together and actively take a stance against the illtreatment of our compatriots, then we would have achieved something.
But today, as bloggers around the world focus on Human Rights Issues, I would like to call on those passionate individuals who have answered this "call to arms" to put things in perspective. As we rally against illtreatment of paying BA customers and Nigerian deportees wherever, let us remember to rally with our brothers and sisters not too far away in Sudan, Somalia and Zimbabwe for starters. As we have screamed "foul" from the top of our lungs against "Brutish Airways", let us (ME, for starters) replenish our voice boxes to scream "NO WAY" to Mugabe's unfair call for a presidential run-off vote, "NOT ON OUR WATCH" to the humanitarian crises in Somalia and in the Sudan (particularly, Darfur), to name a few. Myanmar and China will get the airtime they deserve, but these injustices won't.
Let us remember to save some air in our lungs for those living in the Niger Delta. When do we "boycott" Shell, Mobil and Chevron? When ONE person is poisoned by toxic waste from oil company operations? Well, in that case, the boycott should have begun decades ago.
Oh, and if nothing but a short breath is saved for the "Child witches" in Akwa-Ibom, that would still make a difference.
As Nigerians test their ability to "unite against mistreatment", let's start to think of ways we can unite against murder, environmental racism, genocide, and civil war and child trafficking. Macroissues, way bigger than you and me. But we are THE largest black population in the world, so I'd say we have more than a critical mass. What's missing is the will and the "how". And I sure as heaven don't have the answers. But for today, I'll start by telling ONE MORE person about JUST ONE of these issues, and learning ONE MORE thing about a human rights violation occuring today and how JUST ONE PERSON out there CAN make a difference.
HAPPY BOYCOTTING!
Monday, November 12, 2007
Spot the difference...
We're always quick to call out the gross misconduct of oil companies and our dearest federal and local government when it comes to the Niger Delta (and rightfully so, wethinks) but it's nice to hear some good news once in a while. According to the Guardian, this project, though not scheduled to be completed till the end of 2008 should at least give those quant-heavy economic development folks some actual quant data on just how terrible things are in Ogoniland (and rouse them out of their indifference) and hopefully the project can be scaled to include other badly-hit parts of the Niger Delta.
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UN bodies to assess oil-polluted sites in Ogoniland - Chinedu Uwaegbulam
A COMPREHENSIVE environmental assessment of oil-impacted sites in the Ogoni region of the Niger Delta is to be launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in association with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The move follows a request by the Federal Government as part of the broader government-led peace and reconciliation process in the region. Local communities and partners will be supporting UNEP to undertake the evaluation.
Senior officials from UNEP began talks in Abuja yesterday to seal the final detail of the assessment, expected to be completed by the end of 2008.
The assessment will be conducted by the Post-Conflict and Disaster Management Branch (PCDMB), which leads UNEP's work in areas of the world where the environment is impacted by conflicts or disasters, or where the environment is a factor contributing to conflict and disaster impacts.
Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, said: "The assessment will seek to identify, evaluate and minimise the immediate and long-term human, social, health and economic impacts of oil contamination in Ogoniland, as well as those related to environmentally and economically important ecosystems.
"We will be deploying several teams of international and local experts in order to conduct field-based assessments in over 300 sites to identify the impacts of oil on environmental systems such as land, water, agriculture, fisheries and air - as well as the direct and indirect effects on biodiversity and human health," he added.
On the basis of the findings, UNEP will make recommendations for the appropriate remediation activities to rehabilitate the land to a condition that is environmentally acceptable, according to international standards.
The project will be undertaken in a manner that maximises benefits to the community through employment, capacity-building activities, information and consultation.
PCDMB conflicts and disasters are closely intertwined with the environment, hence, proper environmental management and governance is considered essential for long-term peace, stability and security in any conflict- or disaster-prone country.
---------
UN bodies to assess oil-polluted sites in Ogoniland - Chinedu Uwaegbulam
A COMPREHENSIVE environmental assessment of oil-impacted sites in the Ogoni region of the Niger Delta is to be launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in association with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The move follows a request by the Federal Government as part of the broader government-led peace and reconciliation process in the region. Local communities and partners will be supporting UNEP to undertake the evaluation.
Senior officials from UNEP began talks in Abuja yesterday to seal the final detail of the assessment, expected to be completed by the end of 2008.
The assessment will be conducted by the Post-Conflict and Disaster Management Branch (PCDMB), which leads UNEP's work in areas of the world where the environment is impacted by conflicts or disasters, or where the environment is a factor contributing to conflict and disaster impacts.
Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, said: "The assessment will seek to identify, evaluate and minimise the immediate and long-term human, social, health and economic impacts of oil contamination in Ogoniland, as well as those related to environmentally and economically important ecosystems.
"We will be deploying several teams of international and local experts in order to conduct field-based assessments in over 300 sites to identify the impacts of oil on environmental systems such as land, water, agriculture, fisheries and air - as well as the direct and indirect effects on biodiversity and human health," he added.
On the basis of the findings, UNEP will make recommendations for the appropriate remediation activities to rehabilitate the land to a condition that is environmentally acceptable, according to international standards.
The project will be undertaken in a manner that maximises benefits to the community through employment, capacity-building activities, information and consultation.
PCDMB conflicts and disasters are closely intertwined with the environment, hence, proper environmental management and governance is considered essential for long-term peace, stability and security in any conflict- or disaster-prone country.
Monday, August 6, 2007
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, NEARLY
We've been hearing a lot in the past two months about Yar'Adua needing to act quickly to establish the legitimacy of his government amidst the illegitimacy of the platform on which he won. However, the ND issues have not been at the forefront of these calls to action. Beyond the EFCC, and the fight against corruption that this Economist article highlights, there are the even more pertinent issues of the PEOPLE of the Niger Delta. Is the first step to address the corruption of these governors to ensure that the future pie is larger than it has been in the past (and can hopefully go towards alleviating the plight of the people)? Or do we need to be looking hard at what we can do to rectify the current appalling situation of the ND inhabitants, regardless of what's going on on the anti-corruption war front? On the other hand, do we need to be overhauling our constitution and fitting it to the current times, which call for the need to check the incessant corruption that thrives due to the constitutionally-protected autonomy enjoyed by state governors?
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MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, NEARLY - The Economist
After fraudulent elections a new and tainted president faces a mountain of problems
THERE must be few other countries on earth with such a glaring mismatch between their actual state and their extraordinary potential. Some call Nigeria Africa's slumbering giant. It more often behaves like the continent's suicidal maniac.
With 140m people, Africa's most populous country is the world's eighth-largest oil exporter. That has earned Nigeria about $223 billion in revenues over the past eight years alone. Yet so wasted has this windfall been that most Nigerians continue to live in squalor and poverty. The country ranks 159th out of 177 on the UN's human-development index. For all the energy resources that lie under Nigerians' feet, the fitful power supply dips at times to levels last seen when the country became independent nearly half a century ago.
The cause of all this is extravagant corruption and mismanagement, coupled with a political culture that owes more to the principles of gangsterism than to any textbook on democracy. April's elections were marked by violence and fraud on a scale that boggled the imagination even of jaded Nigerian voters. Many therefore regard their new president, Umaru Yar'Adua, who after months of dithering finally formed his cabinet last week, as tainted from the start.
And yet Mr Yar'Adua may yet achieve something in his four-year term. Although he was the principal beneficiary of all the ballot-rigging, his personal reputation, acquired as a state governor, is one of probity and competence. He has certainly been saying all the right things since the election about the evils of corruption and the need for transparency. And he has a receptive audience: voters sick of the looting of their country will back a leader who seems genuine about reform.
To make the most of these slim advantages, however, Mr Yar'Adua needs to act quickly. He could start by ensuring that the next election is less farcical than the last. This requires legislation to take the commission that organises elections, and the decision on who sits on it, out of the hands of the presidency and make it truly independent of the executive. The dismally partisan performance of the commission in April's election showed that it is now "independent" in name only.
Another aim must be to strengthen the anti-corruption drive that was begun by Mr Yar'Adua's predecessor as president, Olusegun Obasanjo. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which came to be used as a tool to discredit the government's opponents, must be allowed to go after anyone. It could start by prosecuting some of the former state governors, several of whom it has indicted.
Clean up the Delta, while you're about it
Cracking down on corruption could in turn help resolve the insurgency in the oil-producing Niger Delta region, which has shut down about 20% of the country's oil production. The Delta's problems do not stem from the federal government's miserliness towards local people, as is often claimed, but from the theft of the funds it sends the region. The budget of the main Delta state last year was a hefty $1.3 billion, all of this from the central government. Yet thanks to the avarice of local politicians, most was siphoned off before reaching the people, who remain some of Africa's poorest and sickest.
Mr Yar'Adua should get tough with the Delta governors to ensure that the money goes to its intended recipients. For example, he could channel more federal money into decentralised trusts and so bypass the state governors and their lackeys altogether. The Delta is where all Nigeria's plagues of political gangsterism, corruption and poverty converge. If Mr Yar'Adua can crack the Delta's woes, he may learn how to unpick some of the problems of the country as a whole.
-------
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, NEARLY - The Economist
After fraudulent elections a new and tainted president faces a mountain of problems
THERE must be few other countries on earth with such a glaring mismatch between their actual state and their extraordinary potential. Some call Nigeria Africa's slumbering giant. It more often behaves like the continent's suicidal maniac.
With 140m people, Africa's most populous country is the world's eighth-largest oil exporter. That has earned Nigeria about $223 billion in revenues over the past eight years alone. Yet so wasted has this windfall been that most Nigerians continue to live in squalor and poverty. The country ranks 159th out of 177 on the UN's human-development index. For all the energy resources that lie under Nigerians' feet, the fitful power supply dips at times to levels last seen when the country became independent nearly half a century ago.
The cause of all this is extravagant corruption and mismanagement, coupled with a political culture that owes more to the principles of gangsterism than to any textbook on democracy. April's elections were marked by violence and fraud on a scale that boggled the imagination even of jaded Nigerian voters. Many therefore regard their new president, Umaru Yar'Adua, who after months of dithering finally formed his cabinet last week, as tainted from the start.
And yet Mr Yar'Adua may yet achieve something in his four-year term. Although he was the principal beneficiary of all the ballot-rigging, his personal reputation, acquired as a state governor, is one of probity and competence. He has certainly been saying all the right things since the election about the evils of corruption and the need for transparency. And he has a receptive audience: voters sick of the looting of their country will back a leader who seems genuine about reform.To make the most of these slim advantages, however, Mr Yar'Adua needs to act quickly. He could start by ensuring that the next election is less farcical than the last. This requires legislation to take the commission that organises elections, and the decision on who sits on it, out of the hands of the presidency and make it truly independent of the executive. The dismally partisan performance of the commission in April's election showed that it is now "independent" in name only.
Another aim must be to strengthen the anti-corruption drive that was begun by Mr Yar'Adua's predecessor as president, Olusegun Obasanjo. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which came to be used as a tool to discredit the government's opponents, must be allowed to go after anyone. It could start by prosecuting some of the former state governors, several of whom it has indicted.
Clean up the Delta, while you're about it
Cracking down on corruption could in turn help resolve the insurgency in the oil-producing Niger Delta region, which has shut down about 20% of the country's oil production. The Delta's problems do not stem from the federal government's miserliness towards local people, as is often claimed, but from the theft of the funds it sends the region. The budget of the main Delta state last year was a hefty $1.3 billion, all of this from the central government. Yet thanks to the avarice of local politicians, most was siphoned off before reaching the people, who remain some of Africa's poorest and sickest.
Mr Yar'Adua should get tough with the Delta governors to ensure that the money goes to its intended recipients. For example, he could channel more federal money into decentralised trusts and so bypass the state governors and their lackeys altogether. The Delta is where all Nigeria's plagues of political gangsterism, corruption and poverty converge. If Mr Yar'Adua can crack the Delta's woes, he may learn how to unpick some of the problems of the country as a whole.
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