^
The majority of pollution is due to gas flaring. Who flares gas?

Dear beaf,
I am well aware of your antics about the Niger Delta, while I sympathize with most of the points you have made I strongly believe that nothing has been done with those we have received so far. You want us to talk criminality in the ND? Your leaders would head the list. Even the contracts being given to the local contractors still end up on the tables of their pseudo companies. The ND is a mess true, a lot of people are culpable, I personally want us to clean our house first, so if those goodies eventually come it would spread to everyone, no?

On the issue of pollution I agree with you, but please tell me how those laws would cascade into wiping out these vultures?

Beaf:

^
The majority of pollution is due to gas flaring. Who flares gas?

pollution resulting from gas flaring DOES NOT effect the immediate environment. it is therefore a global issue and not a niger delta issue.

hmm

Chrisbenogor:

Dear beaf,
I am well aware of your antics about the Niger Delta, while I sympathize with most of the points you have made I strongly believe that nothing has been done with those we have received so far. You want us to talk criminality in the ND? Your leaders would head the list. Even the contracts being given to the local contractors still end up on the tables of their pseudo companies. The ND is a mess true, a lot of people are culpable, I personally want us to clean our house first, so if those goodies eventually come it would spread to everyone, no?

On the issue of pollution I agree with you, but please tell me how those laws would cascade into wiping out these vultures?

Thank you, I share your views, but not your order of precedence. First of all, we must stop poisoning the people otherwise the goodies you describe would only go toward their burials. Bros, please next time you are presented with a cup of water that has an oil sheen, don’t drink it! It is a cup of cancer.

About “cascading. . .” The US ambassador aptly captured the ND problem when he said we are internally colonised by sections of Nigeria. It will be a long fight and a long labour of love to bring equity to the Niger Delta; but any fight for ND justice will be a fight for Nigeria, because Nigeria amounts to little without the ND. The country was set up by soldiers in such a way that they could continue stealing oil money with ease (that’s why they hate GEJ so bitterly).
The truth of the matter is that the country needs total restructuring in the long run; such a cause will bring true and representative federalism. It will bring accountability, so that there will be no Ibori’s, Tinibu’s or Atiku’s; there will be no trips by state governors to Abuja for monthly funds that they are unaccountable to their people for. Right now, in our upsidedown system, accountability ends at Aso Rock (he who pays the piper dictates the tune); but again, governors control their NASS members (who can impeach the President). . . What we have is a recipe for total corruption.

appletango:

pollution resulting from gas flaring DOES NOT effect the immediate environment. it is therefore a global issue and not a niger delta issue.

Gas flaring is the most dangerous form of pollution in the Niger Delta. It is the equivalent of pumping poison into the air people breath:

Gas flares release a variety of potenially poisonous chemicals such as nitrogen dioxides, sulphur dioxide, volatile organic compounds like benzene, toluene, xylene and hydrogen sulfide, as well as carcinogens like benzapyrene and dioxin. Often gas flares are often close to local communities, and lack adequate fencing or protection for villagers who may risk nearing the heat of the flare in order to carry out their daily activities. Flares which are often older and inefficient are rarely relocated away from villages, and are known to coat the land and communities in the area with soot and damage adjacent vegetation.

In November 2005 a judgment by, "the Federal High Court of Nigeria ordered that gas flaring must stop in a Niger Delta community as it violates guaranteed constitutional rights to life and dignity. In a case brought against the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (Shell), Justice C. V. Nwokorie ruled in Benin City that the damaging and wasteful practice of flaring cannot lawfully continue."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_in_Nigeria#Natural_gas_flaring

I agree to all the posts so far. They are very true but the fact remains, the Federal Government remains in the best agent for change in the ND and this is simply because it pulls the purse strings and controls all the institutions about the region top to bottom. Whatever has become of the word accountability. Why can't they call they these public servants to account. If you or I was giving out billions monthly to quench a fire wouldn't we be interested in how the fireman was using it. Are the arms of law enforcement no longer Federal. How many of these people have the EFCC striped naked in the market place since 1999, none. When Odili's tenure was over, did the thief not run to Abuja.

This is the crux of the problem. If you truly give power to the people the people will hold them accountable. If you decide the outcome of elections in Wadata House, setup a Ministry of the Niger-Delta under the Presidency and share contracts amongst party faithfuls nationwide you're just wasting your time. The people cannot be fooled. They know who their true leaders are. Look at states that have anything close to the aspirations of the people like Lagos, they hardly complain. If it is good, it is Fashola, if it is bad it is Fashola. So the chap has no choice but to act.

It is not about multinationals or oil but who decides how they the people, live, work, marry, procreated and die. Right now the man is lying peacefully on his mat in his hut in the middle of the bush. Suddenly the door is kicked in, an Abuja man with a wad of papers, a white man in coveralls and a Mopol with an AK47 put an end to his lifestyle in the blink of an eye and you expect him to just wander to the next palm tree and only cry his eyes out.

He might just do that if he does not see exuberance displayed in a short while obviously at his expense.

If your local leaders are robbing you blind, if your national leaders are profiting disproportionately from revenue earned at the expense of both the environmental and economic viability of your land, if multinational oil firms are taking 50% or more of the revenue while allowing your government to keep the rest- a government that can't be trusted to do anything meaningful and which is "curiously" prejudiced against your people having any national political voice on account of your not belonging to or being aligned with a certain ruling cabal (an ethnic minority- the Fulani) - only for that government to spend the revenue on absolute rubbish like a refinery in Kaduna (!) amongst other things; if all of these things and more were staring you plainly in the face, you might 1) take up arms 2) try and survive or thrive (profit) from a messed up situation that you can't get out of by bunkering, knowing that those who you're robbing (corrupt federal government and oil companies) don't give a damn about you or 3) try forming peaceful (that is, ignorable, in the Nigerian context) resistance and protest groups and petitioning until you gave up. . .

But don't act like there's something so wrong with people in the Niger Delta. I don't support criminal activity, whether it's extreme militancy without negotiation, or massive environmentally damaging oil bunkering, but some people in this thread need to realize that more drastic and damaging options than those three that I listed could emerge (I leave that to your imagination) and that the solution to the problem, and the key to removing all of these avenues, lies primarily with the federal government as the ball is in their court. We don't have to live off of Niger Delta oil and in fact when we didn't we were probably better off. The only ones so desperate to avoid any kind of change from the status quo are those people with a parasitic mindset, people whose fear of their own people's lack of confidence and ability make them fear the possibility of having to stand on their own.

So who are the colonial masters now ? Yoruba,hausa,ibo abi ?
The ss is just one frustrated region that don't know what they really want.The region accounts for bulk of the nation's wealth and yet,they still blame other regions for their woes.Can't you guys plan your lives and stop crying like babies.
billions of naira is paid into the accounts of these states part of which ought to be used for environmental project but the same complaints is what we keep hearing everyday.hausa today,yoruba tomorrow,ibo the next day.
The so-called pollution are caused by the thievies among them and the oil spills over there,yet they blame the oil company for environmental degradation even when pipelines are being sabotage by ND militants.abeg make una go siddon .these complaints are just annoying.

Beaf:

Gas flaring is the most dangerous form of pollution in the Niger Delta. It is the equivalent of pumping poison into the air people breath:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum_in_Nigeria#Natural_gas_flaring

please never quote wikipedia to me again. the next time you go i'll give you an immediate "F".

flarring is not the most dangerous form of pullution in the niger delta. not even close. the air quality in large industrial cities (lagos, port harcourt, ect) is far worse than the air quality in the oil producing regions of the niger delta. and if people are too silly to avoid "walking into huge balls of fire while they are carrying out their daily tasks then that's too bad for them."

but as i said before i agree with you that it should be stopped but not for the reasons you are stating.

appletango:

please never quote wikipedia to me again. the next time you go i'll give you an immediate "F".

flarring is not the most dangerous form of pullution in the niger delta. not even close. the air quality in large industrial cities (lagos, port harcourt, ect) is far worse than the air quality in the oil producing regions of the niger delta. and if people are too silly to avoid "walking into huge balls of fire while they are carrying out their daily tasks then that's too bad for them."

but as i said before i agree with you that it should be stopped but not for the reasons you are stating.

So you say I shouldn't quote Wikipedia which cites academic articles, but you can quote hearsay?
Gas flaring in the Niger Delta accounts for 50% of pollution in Nigeria. There is no place with lower air quality than the Niger Delta in Africa.

And you do not walk into huge balls of fire, the FG lights them next to your house and they are so big that they light up the sky for miles around.

I support their right for resource control. But how will resource control be relevant if they cannot control their own corrupt politicians? Suppose they received 100% of the money produced from their land. How exactly will this help matters?

I agree that Yoruba/Hausa/Igbo are essentially colonialists. But you still have to spend the little money you have wisely, imo.

DapoBear:

I support their right for resource control. But how will resource control be relevant if they cannot control their own corrupt politicians? Suppose they received 100% of the money produced from their land. How exactly will this help matters?

I agree that Yoruba/Hausa/Igbo are essentially colonialists. But you still have to spend the little money you have wisely, imo.

Are your politicians better? Why worry about what people do with their own money?
Anyway, the angle behind resource control is that those who own the land will not pollute it in the criminal way that govt operations do, and when they pollute it, they will take care to clean it up, because its their land.

The most important thing about resource control is that it wouldn't allow for the sort of politics we have today. First of all, the land wouldn't belong to govt, but to a family - royalties will go to the land owner; secondly, you can only have crazy levels of corruption in our present system, resource control will mean true federalism and representation.

Beaf:

Thank you, I share your views, but not your order of precedence. First of all, we must stop poisoning the people otherwise the goodies you describe would only go toward their burials. Bros, please next time you are presented with a cup of water that has an oil sheen, don’t drink it! It is a cup of cancer.

About “cascading. . .” The US ambassador aptly captured the ND problem when he said we are internally colonised by sections of Nigeria. It will be a long fight and a long labour of love to bring equity to the Niger Delta; but any fight for ND justice will be a fight for Nigeria, because Nigeria amounts to little without the ND. The country was set up by soldiers in such a way that they could continue stealing oil money with ease (that’s why they hate GEJ so bitterly).
The truth of the matter is that the country needs total restructuring in the long run; such a cause will bring true and representative federalism. It will bring accountability, so that there will be no Ibori’s, Tinibu’s or Atiku’s; there will be no trips by state governors to Abuja for monthly funds that they are unaccountable to their people for. Right now, in our upsidedown system, accountability ends at Aso Rock (he who pays the piper dictates the tune); but again, governors control their NASS members (who can impeach the President). . . What we have is a recipe for total corruption.

Mr. Beaf,
I think the fundamental difference between the both of us is the sequence to achieve this goals, you do not need to lecture me too much about pollution I worked for the NNPC back in 2008 and in my short time there I experienced it first hand. Whenever we had to restart the plant after our brother's in the creeks blew pipelines we had to come to work with our own milk (the powers that be in the NNPC suddenly stopped providing it) because the amount of pollution was borderline nauseating and I mean that literally. I remember once I was stationed with instrumentation and control and we had to go up a column to check on a faulty guage, on getting to the ladder there was a substance dripping down that had all the markings of sulphur, I told my oga nothing on heaven and earth would take me on top of that place and he just looked back and said all this aje workers. I can assure you that 90% of people working in the main plant of that refinery would not live for more than 65 years. Point is I am all to aware of the pollution but does that mean the north is really mostly responsible for our problems

My answer is no, if we use the NNPC as a small institution that has not produced  a profit for Nigeria in the past decades it is very easy to project it into the Niger Delta. Like the ND the NNPC needs funding, but I asked my bosses then what have you done with the little you have been given? Let me illustrate, one of my very first assignments was to overhaul a reciprocal nitrogen compressor that was very important to the operation of the catlytic cracking unit used in producing high octane fuel. Joyous from the amount of experience I was about to gain I joined my team of engineers and as we journeyed up to the machine I could not help but sense the lack of excitement among the workers I asked why and one young one like me said in his short time he cannot tell how many times they have done this job, spirit still high I joined them uninstalled and sent it to the workshop. Now the politics started, the labyrinth seals and  parts needed for overhauling the compressor as a whole would cost in upwards of 10 million naira as we were made to know then.  These goons imported the first seals which they knew was smaller than required and when it could not fit they sent it to the store and ordered another set, word has it they never reached there. I was privy to know that most of those things left the plant in waste trucks. To cut the long story short after working on it and replacing it, the compressor got bad yet again. But they have refused to replace it because they make money from it, I do not want to go into long winded stories of the atrocities going on there or those going in the creeks of the Niger Delta, but beaf my friend the biggest problem IMO facing the Niger delta are its leaders.

It was no wonder when the government was about to privatize the NGC(a subsidiary company) there was a week warning strike to stop it, why? because they do not want to be accountable to anyone. Same applies to the ND leaders in my opinion.

Beaf:

Are your politicians better? Why worry about what people do with their own money?
Anyway, the angle behind resource control is that those who own the land will not pollute it in the criminal way that govt operations do, and when they pollute it, they will take care to clean it up, because its their land.

I'm not worried about it. It just seems to make little sense for them to be bitching for more money when they aren't managing what they have now. Or put differently, I sympathize less with their cause. Hard for me to take someone seriously who complains about oppression/colonization when he is oppressing and colonizing himself.

PhysicsQED:

If your local leaders are robbing you blind, if your national leaders are profiting disproportionately from revenue earned at the expense of both the environmental and economic viability of your land, if multinational oil firms are taking 50% or more of the revenue while allowing your government to keep the rest- a government that can't be trusted to do anything meaningful and which is "curiously" prejudiced against your people having any national political voice on account of your not belonging to or being aligned with a certain ruling cabal (an ethnic minority- the Fulani) - only for that government to spend the revenue on absolute rubbish like a refinery in Kaduna (!) amongst other things; if all of these things and more were staring you plainly in the face, you might 1) take up arms 2) try and survive or thrive (profit) from a messed up situation that you can't get out of by bunkering, knowing that those who you're robbing (corrupt federal government and oil companies) don't give a damn about you or 3) try forming peaceful (that is, ignorable, in the Nigerian context) resistance and protest groups and petitioning until you gave up. . .

But don't act like there's something so wrong with people in the Niger Delta. I don't support criminal activity, whether it's extreme militancy without negotiation, or massive environmentally damaging oil bunkering, but some people in this thread need to realize that more drastic and damaging options than those three that I listed could emerge (I leave that to your imagination) and that the solution to the problem, and the key to removing all of these avenues, lies primarily with the federal government as the ball is in their court. We don't have to live off of Niger Delta oil and in fact when we didn't we were probably better off. The only ones so desperate to avoid any kind of change from the status quo are those people with a parasitic mindset, people who's fear of their own people's lack of confidence and ability make them fear the possibility of having to stand on their own.

Oil companies taking '50% or more' of the oil revenue? Abeg do proper research so you don't make really brainless comments like this again. Haba, what's happening to you? Your first couple of posts were actually intelligent.
Using the NNPC-Shell-Agip-Elf Joint Venture as an example, government take is in the region of 90%.
Of course it's much easier for you people to blame the IOCs for everything instead of making any effort to find out the truth for yourselves.

I'd be much more tolerant to the ND bunkering situation if we found ourselves in a 'Robin Hood' situation, where those bunkering would use their profits to develop their areas and uplift their people. Wanna know why Hezbollah is so well loved in Lebanon? Those 'terrorists' build schools, give loans, help the poor etc. Go and find out what benefit a bunkerer like Ateke Tom ever brought to the people in his area.
If you like, keep lending a tacit support for bunkerers. At least if the oil was produced the legal way the state would get it's 13% cut. Under the oil reforms, the communities would get a stake from it. From the oil stolen by bunkerers, the only person to gain from it is the oil thief and his boys.

I have been studying the issues of the Niger Delta very carefully, and it does seem that the Niger Delta is under internal 'colonial rule.' The ambassador and Gov. Amaechi is right on the money

Beaf:

Dude, congrats on the birth of your baby. I pray her life is filled with abundant blessings, health and wealth.

Thanks bro.

Concerning the topic, It would be rather unfair to paint me as someone who is 'anti-ND'. I've always been of the school of thought that there is a whole lot more Nigerians themselves need to do instead of shifting the blame to other people (especially their leaders). I never believed in the 'good people, bad leaders' concept.
There are simple steps the people in the region can do to at least remove any possible obstacle from within for their development. At least steps can be taken to vote in good leaders to make better use of the resources that comes to the state, tackle bunkering and pipeline theft (the ND people only suffer more for these activities) among other things.
That's all.

Omenani:

I have been studying the issues of the Niger Delta very carefully, and it does seem that the Niger Delta is under internal 'colonial rule.' The ambassador and Gov. Amaechi is right on the money

For the Ambassador, you mean when he said the people had to vote in credible leaders, abi?

For Amaechi, i'd much rather he did something about the ginormous craters in the road to the International airport. I cringe with shame for Rivers State everytime i have to weave around and within those gullies.

texazzpete:

For the Ambassador, you mean when he said the people had to vote in credible leaders, abi?

For Amaechi, i'd much rather he did something about the ginormous craters in the road to the International airport. I cringe with shame for Rivers State everytime i have to weave around and within those gullies.

Did you read his statement? The Niger Delta has been held hostage by the rest of Nigeria. 80% of the nation's GDP relies on Niger Deltan oil. That speaks volumes. The Niger Delta doesn't need Nigeria, but it would seem that Nigeria needs the Niger Delta a lot more. The people are suffering.

Omenani:

Did you read his statement? The Niger Delta has been held hostage by the rest of Nigeria. 80% of the nation's GDP relies on Niger Deltan oil. That speaks volumes. The Niger Delta doesn't need Nigeria, but it would seem that Nigeria needs the Niger Delta a lot more. The people are suffering.

At the end of his statement he gave when he felt was a solution to the problem. Why are you studiously ignoring his solution and focusing on what you want to hear in his statement? We already know we're screwed, all we seek now is ANSWERS! SOLUTIONS!

Omenani:

Did you read his statement? The Niger Delta has been held hostage by the rest of Nigeria. 80% of the nation's GDP relies on Niger Deltan oil. That speaks volumes. The Niger Delta doesn't need Nigeria, but it would seem that Nigeria needs the Niger Delta a lot more. The people are suffering.

Point of correction, its more like 30%.
Our oil exports are only about 75 billion PPP dollars in value while our GDP is over 300 billion.
Not trying to belittle the ND's contribution though.

MShittu:

Point of correction, its more like 30%.
Our oil exports are only about 75 billion PPP dollars in value while our GDP is over 300 billion.
Not trying to belittle the ND's contribution though.

Ha ha ha we were both wrong.

Oil and gas exports accounted for more than 98% of export earnings and about 83% of federal government revenue, as well as generating more than 40% of its GDP. It also provides 95% of foreign exchange earnings, and about 65% of government budgetary revenues.

texazzpete:

Oil companies taking '50% or more' of the oil revenue? Abeg do proper research so you don't make really brainless comments like this again. Haba, what's happening to you? Your first couple of posts were actually intelligent.
Using the NNPC-Shell-Agip-Elf Joint Venture as an example, government take is in the region of 90%.

Perhaps I misread this then, so you could explain it to me, I've never seen any joint operation between the federal government and foreign companies where the Nigerian government got up to 90%, and in fact that figure sounds very implausible. Surely those companies know that they could get a better deal, as they are the ones doing the real work and with the real expertise. But then again, if I see the actual facts/figures, I'll believe it.


http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/africa/nigeria/oil.html

Nigeria's Oil Industry: A Cursed Blessing?  
Posted: July 2003




The 11th and final country to join the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 1971, Nigeria's 25 billion barrels of proven oil reserves place it among the world's top oil-producing nations. The country plans to boost its oil reserves to at least 40 billion barrels by 2010 after recently discovering large oil deposits in deeper offshore waters, according to OPEC and the Nigerian Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

Nigeria's economy is heavily dependent on its oil sector, which accounts for some 90 percent of export revenues and 41 percent of its gross domestic product, according to a 2002 report by the World Bank and information from the Nigerian Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

The United States is Nigeria's top export partner. Nigeria in 2002 ranked as the U.S.'s fifth-largest oil supplier, although its exports have dropped by 8 percent since 1997, according to the Nigerian oil equipmentCentral Bank of Nigeria. The U.S. Office of Trade characterizes Nigerian-American commercial relations as "essentially strong," noting that U.S. imports from Nigeria, mostly oil, totaled $5 billion for the first half of 2001.

Despite its relative abundance of natural resources, the expansion of Nigeria's oil sector has been stymied by its antiquated infrastructure and the "frustratingly slow" movement of goods through Nigeria's major ports, according to the U.S. Office of Trade in 2002. The U.S. government attributes these problems — which continue in 2003, according to the U.S. Department of Energy — to mismanagement during the dictatorship of General Sani Abacha from 1993 to 1998.

Nigerian law has historically barred foreign firms from owning 100 percent of oil enterprises and other businesses the government deemed important to national security. However, President Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria's leader since 1999, has introduced reforms to privatize the government-owned and -subsidized oil operations, or parastatals, partly in an attempt to attract more capital investment and foreign business partners.

In 2003, Obasanjo's administration announced the government would be selling off the four state-owned oil refineries, all of its petrochemical plants and its oil marketing company, the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC). The U.S. Trade Office welcomed the move, although it cautioned that Nigeria's privatization process appeared to be prone to delay, according to its 2002 country commercial guide.

A small number of domestic private oil businesses, such as Famfa Oil Limited, have increased their stake in the oil sector, following the Nigerian government's 1990 program to help boost indigenous participation. Those companies, however, represent a much smaller stake in Nigeria's petroleum industry than the multinational firms.

Otherwise, nearly all of Nigeria's oil production and development projects are owned by joint venture operations between the government-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and multinational corporations.

The biggest joint venture operation, the Shell Petroleum Development Company Ltd., accounts for more than half of Nigeria's daily oil production and reserves. The massive operation is partly owned by the NNPC, which controls a 55 percent stake and the Netherlands-based Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies, with a 30 percent interest. Elf Petroleum, a subsidiary of the Paris-based TotalFinaElf, owns 10 percent, while Agip, a subsidiary of Italian energy giant Eni, holds a 5 percent stake.

The Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited is the second-largest joint venture operation, of which the NNPC owns 60 percent and the Texas-based Exxon Mobil holds the remaining 40 percent.

The Oil Industry's Conflicts With Indigenous Communities


Nigeria's government took in more than $17 billion from oil exports in 2002, but the petroleum industry generates few employment opportunities or income for the majority of Nigerians, whose per capita income falls below $300 per year, according to the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria's 2002 commercial guide.

Most of Nigeria's oil fields are located in the swamps of the Niger Delta, an oil-rich region that is also the main location of ongoing social conflict and political violence.

The high unemployment and poverty levels in the Delta region have exacerbated a long-running conflict between the indigenous community and the oil companies. Some elements of the population have even turned to hostile activities like sabotage, kidnapping and extortion.

Oil equipment According to a 2002 World Bank report, additional sources of conflict stem from the multinational petroleum corporations' decisions to contract foreign workers instead of members of the local population, which has kept the indigenous communities from enjoying the benefits of their region's oil resources. Native communities have also protested the environmental pollution and damage they say has come from oil companies' development projects, for which the native peoples claim they rarely receive compensation, according to lawsuit transcripts filed on their behalf.

^^^^^^


So I'm misinterpreting that? I'm seeing numbers like 55% and 60% for Nigeria. Or is that something completely different? I've simply never seen a figure like 90% anywhere.

Of course it's much easier for you people to blame the IOCs for everything instead of making any effort to find out the truth for yourselves.

People like me? What exactly is that supposed to mean? Am I a militant or an oil-bunkerer? I'm actually somewhat of an objective observer in all of this actually. I belong neither to any of the groups being accused of "internally colonizing" another area, certainly not to that group (North) being blamed for being particularly parasitic, nor do I belong to the groups who are really being exploited in the Niger Delta. That's why I can approach the matter focusing on truth rather than trying to prove this or that side wrong. If there are facts and reasonable arguments to be made, if there's truth, I'll readily accept it. I don't actually have anything to lose. But don't make moronic assumptions about people's character, biases, or interests without any evidence.

I'd be much more tolerant to the ND bunkering situation if we found ourselves in a 'Robin Hood' situation, where those bunkering would use their profits to develop their areas and uplift their people.

But they are "their people." By helping themselves to profits, they're helping their community, no? Sure there's environmental damage, but that would be there anyways and the government will never do anything about any environmental damage because the people controlling government are in some far away desert and those not in that desert are directly beholden, or aligned with, those in that desert. If they can't go about their lives normally due to all the environmental damage already on ground before the bunkering, why not be able to make a profit?

Wanna know why Hezbollah is so well loved in Lebanon? Those 'terrorists' build schools, give loans, help the poor etc. Go and find out what benefit a bunkerer like Ateke Tom ever brought to the people in his area.

Hezbollah's love in Lebanon is directly dependent on Israeli aggression and Iranian funding. If Iran was to cut off money they wouldn't have the resources to carry out terrorist activities and support their communities. If at the same time Israel was to suddenly cave and say they give into almost all anti-Israel Arab or Muslim demands, even going so far as to leave Palestine and go back to Europe and America, Lebanese people and Lebanese politicians would suddenly realize that Hezbollah, in addition to being a blot on their image, are basically a bunch of jobless, useless bums.

If you like, keep lending  a tacit support for bunkerers.

Okay. Sure. Whatever.

At least if the oil was produced the legal way the state would get it's 13% cut.

I think this is a case of "not doing proper research and making really brainless comments." The Federal Government (central government) gets 87% of oil revenue. The remaining 9 oil producing states share the remaining 13% according to the amount of oil produced by that state. For example, Delta state gets 3.9% and Bayelsa gets 2.3%. Or do you think 9 x 13% < 100%?

Under the oil reforms, the communities would get a stake from it. From the oil stolen by bunkerers, the only person to gain from it is the oil thief and his boys.

Oil reforms? Do tell!. . .Would this be something like, say, 50% derivation? Or revoking the Land Use Act? Or would it be mere government paper-shuffling and phrase-mongering? I would just like to know, as an objective observer, what reforms the boys in the Delta should be waiting for thieving incompetent, and unconcerned goons in Abuja to pass.

, never believed in the 'good people, bad leaders' concept.

That is a very strong and intelligent utterance. As a matter of fact, the Nigerian masses, save for some exception are as bad as their leaders. The Nigerian "societies" are just damned too corrupt and "superstitious" and a more than a great percentage of the people are just too shallow minded,

BTW, the ND is not getting just 13% of the accrued oil revenue. It is a big distortion to stipulate that the ND merely gets 13%. Out of the remaining 87%, the ND still get a substantial chunk.

Did Abuja and Lagos get built by sons of the soil or FG?

What's a "subtantial chunk"? 2.4% per state? ((1/36) x 87%)

Why lie?

Parasitic fears have some people concocting fairy tales.

While I understand the out cries of Niger Deltan both genuine and spurious, the US Ambassador is being mischievous here. I cannot claim to know what is going on in Niger Delta, but I know that the issue of bad leadership is all over the nation and should be responsible for the bulk of problems and underdevelopment and have little to do with their claims. Is the US occopying Texas and Missisipi?

NEW ORLEANS, La., July 30 (Reuters) - BP Plc's (BP.L)(BP.N) massive oil spill has given Gulf Coast lawmakers leverage to push for a larger share of the billions of dollars in royalties that oil companies pay to drill in U.S. waters.

As a part of 2006 energy legislation, lawmakers like Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu secured a deal to direct a 37.5 percent share of U.S. offshore royalties to coastal states starting in 2017. The provision would net $650 million a year to Louisiana alone, with smaller amounts flowing to Alabama and Mississippi.

In spill-related legislation being debated by Congress, lawmakers are pushing to accelerate the timetable to allow the royalties to begin flowing to Gulf Coast states' coffers immediately.

"We've been patient. But this oil spill is exceeding our patience level," Landrieu said in an interview. "This has been a bone of contention for Gulf Coast states for decades."

Revenue-sharing provisions are absent from an energy bill the House of Representatives began debating on Friday. [ID:nN30172764]

But the provisions could be key to gaining support of Gulf Coast lawmakers when the bill comes before the Senate, with a possible test vote scheduled for next week. Landrieu has said she will not support a spill-related bill that lacks the revenue-sharing provisions.

Gulf Coast officials say they need the money sooner to help restore the fragile wetlands -- a crucial habitat for wildlife that also acts as a grassy, shrubby water levee.

"There is a high level of frustration about the entire situation," said New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, Senator Landrieu's brother, in an interview.

Louisiana's oil and gas industry is estimated to be worth about $65 billion, while its offshore energy activities are estimated at $10 billion to $14 billion, according to the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association.

Currently Gulf Coast states, such as Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Alabama get nothing from existing offshore lease revenues. Meanwhile, U.S. states split onshore lease revenues down the middle with the federal government.

The offshore oil and gas industry contributed some $20 billion in federal, state and local revenue in 2009, according to IHS Global Insight, an economic consulting group. The revenue includes royalties and money from other businesses that benefit such as restaurants
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN3018067820100730?pageNumber=1

What is the Ambassador going to say about the US state?

Na wetin fit una.Shee una think say Igbos won deceive una 4 Biafran war,all those northern thieves go continue to pack una oil money till im dry kakaraka.ntooooo

Omenani:

Did you read his statement? The Niger Delta has been held hostage by the rest of Nigeria. 80% of the nation's GDP relies on Niger Deltan oil. That speaks volumes. The Niger Delta doesn't need Nigeria, but it would seem that Nigeria needs the Niger Delta a lot more. The people are suffering.

Eloquently and perfectly described.

The intransigence Nigerians have towards the suffering of other Nigerians is truly unparalleled. Those talking about holding leaders accountable are clearly not familiar with the Nigerian political system. We have just had an election annulled after 3.5 years in Delta State, the reason? - elections didn't actually take place.

This begs the question, if the politician doesn't need the masses to get into power, what incentive does he have to listen to them?
It is naive, almost Utopian to believe our people chose their leaders or government.

The Niger Delta needs its own home grown  political party that is committed to the development and betterment of Niger Delta and putting the interests of Niger Delta first. The current PDP and other political parties do not have the best interest of Niger Delta at heart. They are internal oppressors.

As much as it might pain a lot of you to admit it, Niger Delta is the heart and soul of Nigeria and her economy, if this region fails then you all better start making plans to bury the entity called Nigeria.

The whole Nigeria is under feudal rule.

Niger Delta though is under colonial rule because colonial masters tend to ferry away resources back to their motherland (Abuja)

Truth is ugly sometime, but it still has to be told.
What belong to everybody, belong to nobody.
Oil revenues have created laziness and retard diversity in our growth.
We need  other regions/states to research, and exploit their capabilities.
Oil for one, is not guarantee to last for ever. We need diversity in our source of substenance.
Every state and region have one or more comparable advantages in some sphere of economics activities
that should be vitalized or revitalized. There is no respect in dependency.