ICEFLAME419ja:



When there's kidnappings and all you mentioned gets down, can't you use your head to know that it's because there's no development there? When you suck niger delta oil you use it to love-vendor the other states, don't even start saying the oil states are the highest paid, answer this out of all the oil blocks in Nigeria is it not true that 95% are owned by North andAss? Or abi them no dey follow kidnap for FCT, shift abeg

The Director, DPR, Mr. Osten Olorunshola, who made the clarification last week in Lagos, said, “The Federal Government does not allocate oil blocks and marginal fields to individuals and corporations based on region or where they come from. So, DPR does not ask if an individual is from the North or South when allocating the fields.” Ownership controversies Pressed further, on which region owned more of Nigeria’s oil assets, Olorunshola, who spoke at the launch of the Nigeria Oil and Gas, NOG Intelligence, a weekly print and online industry newsletter, insisted that “The DPR has no records of 83 per cent Northern ownership of oil blocks anywhere.” According to him, Nigerians currently own 52 per cent of the country’s 173 active oil blocs, while foreign oil companies own 48 per cent. He added that of the total of 388 oil blocks in the country, only 173 of them have been awarded to individuals and corporations, while 215 blocks were yet to be awarded. Broken further, of the 173 so far awarded, Nigerians owned 90 blocks while foreigners owned 83 blocks. He, however, lamented that all the 90 blocks awarded to indigenous players account for only six per cent of the country’s total crude oil production, while the 83 awarded to foreign oil companies account for 94 per cent of the total output.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/03/how-we-award-oil-blocks-fg/

rafindo:
I thank this dishonourable members for doing the right thing for once.sentiment apart business are sited where safety is guaranteed and ease of doing business is okay.as far I am concerned the Niger delta is one of the top place in the world where ease of doing business is extinct. With marching ground ideology, aimless so called lazy youth leader that destroy your property for not compensating the boys.pls don't give me that Houston rubbish of having the hqtr of major oil coys.if your are sincere the government provide the necessary and tax rebate for oil coys.Nigeria is the only country where the community shout our oil as if all lands do not belong to the Fgn

Ekinematics:



You just like writing without thinking.
Compare the rate of kidnap in the west to Niger Delta, before you rush to post without proper reasoning.

oruma19:
I would not have answered u but I just feel I should remind u that when hausas bring up anoda pattern to oppress u from the West, nobody should complain. Nigeria is a country full of deceivers and hypocrites. I don't think Yorubas with allow anyone locate the hq of any company whose original source of business is in Yoruba soil. Nigeria is not one. We need to go our separate ways.

Flyingngel:
wirinet post:
You want the Oil Companies to relocate to a region where their staffs are likely to be Kidnapped for ransom, their infrastructures are likely to be bombs and Youths always extorting money from them at will?

A business concerns makes decisions based on Security, Profit and ease of doing business. Provide a secure environment and the companies will fall over themselves to relocate.





Guy this your comment is very regrettable. You mean that the oil fields are located in Lagos or Abuja? Or the oil field here is being drill by robots which is impossible to be kidnapp or kill by militants? If they can drill oil here and sell it without their platform being bomb, then i see no reason why they shld not relocate to the state that the oil is gotten from.
I knw you are not from Niger Delta.

wirinet:

Bone that thing. As long as Nigeria is one country, you cannot force any country to locate its office anywhere it does not want to. If a shipping company wants to locate its office in Sokoto, that is its prerogative. It is Security, Costs and ease of business that determines where a company decides to locate its offices.

Nearness to source of raw material is an economic principle and not a political one.

oruma19:
I would not have answered u but I just feel I should remind u that when hausas bring up anoda pattern to oppress u from the West, nobody should complain. Nigeria is a country full of deceivers and hypocrites. I don't think Yorubas with allow anyone locate the hq of any company whose original source of business is in Yoruba soil. Nigeria is not one. We need to go our separate ways.

rafindo:
.sorry to bust ur bigotry mindset I am from anambra state. If u doubt that is ur cancer. Be objective when analyzing the issue of business and economics

Ikechukwuni6:
A nation that supports injustice is not a nation at all.

Imagine, carving out oil rich igboland and attached to Rivers as "punishment" to igbos for Biafra. Till date marginaliz9ng the people of that lamd as "punishment" for getting igbo.

Carving out oil rich delta land to Ondo for "award".

Destroying lands of oil Roch communities and ignoring to Fox it despite knowing the livelihood of the people of those lands descendant heavily on ocean aka fishing.

Oya despite all that, stealing oil companies headquarters and attaching it to lagos. The heavy taxes that should go to the communities whose land is being destroyed goes to Lagos which isn't even contributing not even 1% of that resources. Those taxes is used by lagos to increase its people living standard and beat chest while belittling those who they bleed dry.

Now to resolve all that injustice, immediately they refuse it

Yet this country government wonder why militants is still fighting.
What a joke

sniperr007:
Sharap there! U jus tlk based on what u read online. R there not oil workers in ND?

If these companies r based there, d crime rate in those towns will reduce as there will b more opportunities for both skilled & unskilled

laudate:


What crime rate would reduce?? Are you for real? Ok, let me share a true life experience with you. Years ago, a telecoms infrastructure company I used to work for, was contracted to install Base Transceiver Sites (BTS) for a multinational GSM operator. The sites were located in Lagos, Ondo, Rivers and Bayelsa states. The logistics company was duly notified to deliver the telecoms equipment to each of the sites in these respective states, and hand them over to our security guys over there. Our engineers & project teams would then go from one location to the next, to install & commission these sites. Oya, let me share the progress report with you:

In Lagos, a stipend of =N=9,000 to =N=15,000 per site was paid to a few omo oniles and we were granted right of way to commence & conclude our projects at each site. In fact, some of them volunteered to provide extra security for us and escort our teams daily, as long as the project lasted. We were able to finish up in record time, without loss of man hours or equipment.

In Ondo state, the communities where the project sites were located, were welcoming, hospitable and approachable. The best pounded yam and bush meat I ever ate that year, was provided free of charge by the indigenes of that community. At the end of the project, the traditional ruler was given a mobile phone courtesy of our office and one month of free calls, limited to a specific amount. He offered to give our Team Lead (an Engineer), a traditional title, which the guy respectfully declined. Again, all our sites in that state were installed without any hitches.

Rivers/Bayelsa was where our staff had their baptism of fire. The telecoms equipment delivered to site was not just stolen, the site was vandalized, and one of the security guards was killed by the local militants. As our engineers arrived on site, they were beaten, overpowered and 2 of them were kidnapped. Those who were lucky to escape, went to report the incident at the nearest police station. Guess what the policemen on duty said? "Na who send una go dat side? We sef, no dey go near dat place!" They refused to follow us to site and arrest the perpetrators.

Needless to say, we abandoned our luggage, vehicle and few remaining tools left at that site, then took the next commercial bus back to Lagos. The loss incurred on that project was huge, and we declined any further offers to go back to that region to install any new BTS sites, for the rest of the year.

When we mobilised back to that site, we went back with a heavy detachment of SARS and mobile police snipers. Na who wan die?

Out of 11 sites planned for that Niger-Delta region during that period, we were only able to complete 2 sites. The rest has not been completed as we speak, due to the unrest in that locality.

sniperr007:
Pele to ur team.
Lemme tell u another true story. Btw 1996-2001,aladja steel plant was near comatose. Crime rate was high in d area.
Government started paying salary and crime rate reduced to a reasonable level
2005-2011 Indians took over d plan and employed unskilled & skilled in mass & paid peanut. Crime rate in udu(LGA were aladja is),effurun,okpe and uhgelli reduced cos youth were struggling to get job in d plant.
D plant is closed now & crime rate has increased and its worse.

My point is dat idle mind makes youth restive. These youth want to earn a living & if given d opportunity will embrace it & drop crime.
When companies come into this environment & employ Dem, dey r d ones Wu protects d companies because of der daily bread.

For ur case, u guys r jus der to install & I can relate with ur situation but ask ursef, how many companies r in bayelsa? Lots of idea youth Wu want to make a leaving and cos no opportunity, embrace crime.

wirinet:
And you are thinking without writing.
Compare how many foreigners that have ever been kidnapped in the west (Lagos especially) and those that ever been kidnapped in the Nigerdelta.

Look at the two pictures below of Mark Zukerberg and Richard Quest jogging on the streets of Lagos, can they try such any where in the Nigerdelta? Do you know the publicity value of such pictures?

laudate:


Try what in the Niger-Delta? Jogging on the streets? Do they want to be kidnapped, or do they want to die?

wirinet:
The bolded is a lie.Nigerians owns 52% of allocated oil blocks in Nigeria while foreigners owns the remaining 48. Over 55% of oil blocks in Nigeria are yet to be allocated.However this statistics can be very misleading, Nigerian companies contribute about 6% to Nigeria's oil production, International Oil Companies contribute 95% of Nigeria's total crude production. If Northerners owns 95% of oil blocks in Nigeria why are you people so fixated on International oil companies relocating their headquarters to the Nigerdelta, your anger should be directed at oil companies owned by northerners.

Is it the oil companies that suck Nigerdelta oil and use it to love-vendor other states? It is your governments - Federal, State and local, that is responsible for the development of their people. The oil companies came to do business and their main motivation is profit. It is the governments that allows the oil companies to get away with all the rubbish they do in Nigeria. Learn to hold your government responsible instead of exonerating them of any responsibility. I have not been told that the oil companies are not paying their dues.

I am not defending the oil companies because i believe they are complicit in the problems of the oil producing area, what i am saying is that our people, including the kings, community leaders and the youths have more responsibility in the underdevelopment of the oil producing areas.

laudate:


Let me ask you - how many companies will have the guts to risk the lives of their staff, their hard-earned money, resources and equipment in order to set up jobs where there is a high crime rate? Even your militants are NOT doing anything concrete to facilitate the establishment of jobs and/or companies, in that area.

You think the looting, brigandage and incessant attacks will attract investors? You think that by stealing the equipment of contractors, killing and kidnapping their staff, is the way to make more companies create jobs in that region? Security is a priority for any genuine businessman. Tell me, who wants to make a loss? And who will compensate those companies for such losses? YOU??

sniperr007:
Few companies but she it involves oil, IOC's will take d risk.

Before d companies come,they engage d community & d community leaders engage d youth to pave way.
This is when host community employment quota is negotiated,community development quota is also negotiated.
U cant conclude dat d pple r all robbers. Der r millions of youths der so cos a few thousands who bliv in crime, u tag d community as unsafe for business.

When a good deal is agreed on. D community leaders pose as security operatives for d company by fishing out d bad eggs anytime there is problem.

Mind you,bayelsa is not d only state in Niger delta.

laudate:


Don't be deceived. IOCs take security issues very seriously, and they would weigh the financial implications as well as cost of doing business in a particular region, before deciding to embark on any exploration, there. If the risks outweigh their projections, they will pull the plug on such projects. Why do you think[b] Shell along with other multinational exploration companies, decided to sell off their onshore fields and concentrate on deep-water offshore fields[/b]?

Guy, what on earth do you mean by "host community employment quota & community development quota?" You mean the companies should employ people into their firm, just because such people come from a particular locality or just due to the fact that the community says so?

Are you saying relevant skills, adequate experience, competence, character & ability should not matter anymore, when a firm carries out its' recruitment exercises? So they should only hire staff based on some nebulous criteria given by the community? I always ask, the community development fees paid by all the companies operating in the Niger-Delta, what have the community leaders used them for? What kind of development projects have they implemented, using these funds? :-

Bros, you can argue from here till kingdom come, but nothing will convince those who know the truth - most of the Niger-Delta is unsafe for serious business!

sniperr007:
How long as shell being exploring those onshore fields? Like u said, d risk was more than the financial benefit so they sold but remind you that these IOCs explore in war torn countries when the financial gain is high eg Libya and Iraq. And imagine exploring in Chad basin with the menace of boko haram. Shows u how they operate.

Every community has a quota given to them They give them both skilled and unskilled jobs. D ones qualified for skilled position r given and d ones for unskilled r given.
Eg escravos. Iteskiris r given slots for both skilled and unskilled. Even Halliburton warri. With a letter from olu of warri, u r 85% sure u will b given a job.
Its der cooperate responsibility to d host community.

Yes d community leaders cheat d community but d companies have to do more. Like do surveys on the needs of d community rather than give a few hungry men to take do that in d community.

U wont bliv dat otu-jeremi in delta had shell fields but d community Neva had nepa pole until 1999 when ibori did it & shell had over 3 fields there & had being der for over 15yrs prior to 1999. R u sayin shell cudnot buy transformer & bring power der without giving community leaders money?

Dis IOCs want d easy Way is d reason dey give d community leaders moni instead of doin d projects dem selves.

My point still remains dat cos a community is restive is no reason u ignore them.
Best way to reduce crime is to create jobs.

laudate:


You are talking about the IOCs giving 'slots' to the Niger-Delta indigenes for both skilled and unskilled workers. So merit does not count? Competence, skills, ability, expertise and knowledge of the workers no longer matters in your view, because of your ideology that such jobs should only be filled based on so-called 'slots' dictated by the host community, right?

You said :"Dis IOCs want d easy Way is d reason dey give d community leaders moni instead of doin d projects dem selves." I had to laugh. Obviously, you do not know much about the internal and external politics of your so-called community leaders. Whenever the IOCs do their surveys and try to implement community programmes, it is your community leaders that go to them and threaten them with militants and insist that they would shut down their operations, if money for such projects are not paid directly to them. Haven't you heard of the fes they collect in the name of helping the community (i.e. "deve"), which are neither accounted for, nor deployed to good use?

You also claimed that "Yes d community leaders cheat d community but d companies have to do more." My question is more of... what? More of provision of amenities which your state & federal govt should have provided in the first place, (and should be providing) but which they have or could not, because they had looted such funds?

Oh, so you think it is the business of Shell to provide power in such Niger-Delta communities, instead of the govt that has collected the money and chopped it? Guy, learn to hold your leaders accountable for once instead of giving excuses. Ibori provided power in the communities you mentioned, because it fell under the fed govt/NEPA responsibility to do so. In Nigeria, we have turned everything upside down. Instead of holding our leaders accountable, we hold the IOCs accountable for providing basic amenities and utilities that any sane govt should provide.

Power provision is a government responsibility, which is done via the collaboration of the GENCOs, DISCOs and transmission companies. It is NOT supposed to be the IOC's job. It is because govt has abdicated its' responsibilities that the IOCs now fill in the gap. And that is why a number of these Niger-Delta communities now have a sense of entitlement, towards the IOCs. Already, the IOCs provide schools, clinics, scholarships etc in the Niger-Delta, despite paying heavy taxes and levies to state & federal govt. Communities are expected to hold IOC's responsible for carrying out their operational activities in a sustainable manner, by ensuring that such companies do not pollute the environment, degrade or cause harmful emissions that would be toxic to the communities in which they operate.

I am glad you mentioned Libya and Iraq. Let me ask you a question. How many pipelines are broken every year by the residents in which the communities operate, in those countries? Oh last time I checked, there was no IOC within Nigeria, conducting exploration activities in Lake Chad Basin.

sniperr007:
Yes,slots should be given to d host community for both skilled and unskilled and as we speak, this is done in major IOCs eg chevron & iteskiri pple, Mobil and eket pple.

If you work or ve a very close relative in management of an IOC, u will understand why they have to do more. U cannot do sane thing over and over and get same result.
I can tell u dat in bayelsa as we speak, its d youth that dialogue with ioc and although d progress is slow but better than when the old men did.

Shell built osubi airport, why cant they help provide electricity for their host community. Its this lack that causes d youth to attack pipeline because its d only way they can draw attention to their needs.

They are doing good stuff oh. But can do better. As regards Libya & co. We ve limited information abt what's goin on their so pipeline could b burst

Back to the main topic. ND needs companies to help educate and develop the region.

laudate:


You still do not get it, do you? The IOCs including Shell, are NOT supposed to build airports, or provide power or scholarships etc. It is the job of your govt, to do all these things. But because your govt has abdicated its' responsibilities in these areas, the IOCs are just doing their little best to bridge the gap, so that you people will not hamper their operations. It does not give you or your people a sense of entitlement, to continue expecting the IOCs to spoonfeed your communities with ameninities.

Your militants are the ones bursting pipelines, stealing crude, refining illegally and polluting the environment, then turning round to point accusing fingers at others. Until you can get it out of your head, that the culprits are your state & fed govt, who should be held accountable, you will keep seeking crumbs from the IOCs.

Finally you said: "ND needs companies to help educate and develop the region." Oh, you think those companies will come when your militants continue kidnapping, looting, killing, breaking pipelines and polluting the atmosphere with their illegal refineries? What has the ND communities put in place to attract investors to set up in that area?

HughJazz:
they don't get it . they are entitled as F*ck . they just want the IOCs to build everything while the government do nothing. instead to go and hold their governors accountable they just accuse the IOCs of everything because it's easier to criticize the IOCs than their Kins in the governor's house

laudate:


Exactly!! All over the world, IOCs pay taxes to government. Amenities and infrastructure are then provided by the govt in such areas. This leaves the IOCs free to carry out their operations, with the communities acting as a watchdog to ensure their environment is not polluted, and toxic or harmful emissions are not released into their land or water systems. When this balanced relationship occurs, the IOCs are then able to contribute of their own freewill back to the communities in tangible, planned, sustainable and long-term ways. This current hostile antics of the communities hampers and reduces the ability of the IOCs to appropriately plan and empower their host communities, over a long period of time.

CarlosTheJackal:
I see Niger Delta Avengers going back to the creek to show Dogara the real meaning of insecurity

wirinet:
I stopped commenting on this issue because it is a fruitless and frustrating venture trying to explain to Nigerdelta youths that the oil companies do not owe them free lunch. Please ask the person making mandatory for oil companies to provide them light, if they will pay for the Generators and fuel. Who will maintain the equipment used to supply them free light. What happens when the companies finish their operations and leave the area?
If the oil companies owe them free electricity, what about water, roads, telecoms services or even food. Should be oil companies provide all these just because they want to do business in the region? Is this why some are insisting they relocate tho the Nigerdelta? so they take over the responsibility of government?

laudate:


You still do not get it, do you? The IOCs including Shell, are NOT supposed to build airports, or provide power or scholarships etc. It is the job of your govt, to do all these things. But because your govt has abdicated its' responsibilities in these areas, the IOCs are just doing their little bit to bridge the gap, so that you people will not hamper their operations. It does not give you or your people a sense of entitlement, to continue expecting the IOCs to spoonfeed your communities with amenities.

Your militants are the ones bursting pipelines, stealing crude, refining illegally and polluting the environment, then turning round to point accusing fingers at others. Until you can get it into your head, that the culprits are your state & fed govt who should be held accountable, you will keep seeking crumbs from the IOCs.

Finally you said: "ND needs companies to help educate and develop the region." Oh, you think those companies will come when your militants continue kidnapping, looting, killing, breaking pipelines and polluting the atmosphere with their illegal refineries? What has the ND communities put in place to attract investors to set up in that area?

akoko11:


We need Niger Delta Republic, before u finish our oil. We need to develop our region, God will disgrace all enemies of Niger Delta in Jesus name Amen.



Proudly Niger Deltan

rafindo:
.The militant have caused more environmental pollution than the oil coys have. Stop hiding under the banner of environmental pollution to propagate unrealistic business decision that involves millions of USD .if u think the money is change then you can drill it with ur mou.I repeat operational and corporation headquarters is the sole business prerogative of the coys.Ask ur self while the have not relocated since all this years.it is only in Nigeria that economics theory do not hold forth becos of our stone age village reasoning mindset like urs. Even indigenous oil coys owned by ND indigenes have their HQ in Lagos and you are ranting shamelessly where the location of a business is.tell Lafarge to relocate to sagamu since the limestone is located their