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Niger Delta Fund Initiative: Trouble at the Warri oil flow stations: Its economic and social implications
http://www.ijawcenter.com/news/news-page0030330-3.html
By EGUONO ODJEGBA
Sunday, March 30, 2003HOPE was high in 1995, that the execution of the Ogoni nine would at least help to redefine the politics of the Niger Delta region in terms of structural and statistical imbalances in the economic production of the nationšs wealth. The Abacha regime and its successor in spite of the above historical memory proved, through sheer indifference or mischief, to continue to ignore complaints; even as it paid more attention to matters of state jamboree, welfare of neighbouring countries, creation of jobs for first ladies, construction of state of the art stadia and the transformation of Abuja to modern architectural master piece. These superceded the Niger Delta decimal.
Nor was President Obasanjo's 13 per cent derivatiiion formula to oil states expected to silence clamour in its several disguises in the region? The oil states' littoral status that formed sparks of legal firework in 2002 has come and gone, and like sparks, the substance, the unresolved issue remains after all the sparks and abracadabra, had formed and disappeared. Where has the half measures taken anybody? The last few years has witnessed disruptions of activities at the oil farm terminals, kidnap of oil workers, eruption of violence etc. Does this not tell Abuja that there is something significantly still amiss?
Just now, the decimation has temporarily shifted grounds from Ogoni land. It is at the Warri axis. Maybe soon, the location will shift and then recommence at Ogoni land or some other localities. The evidence of political, economic, social and cultural dislocations which government love to play down is unhappily being recriminated at a much sinister dimension, with Nigeria's general elections just by the corner. So, which way, Nigeria?
Government has drafted more federal troops to the area even as airline operators have announced a ban in flights to the area. At what cost? Federal troops will be maintained there at an extra wage allowance. As a result of apparent panic amongst oil workers in the area, production targets are likely to be missed. Choice of air travel to and from the place will result in huge revenue loss to companies, and government as well as businesses. Would establishing peace in the Niger Delta region not cost less, in the long run? And what is government's role in all of this?
Read viewers responses at: http://www.ijawcenter.com/news/news-page0030330-3.html
Š 2003. Vanguard Media Ltd.
http://www.earthrights.net/nigeria/news/oilflow.html