...The military sought (click here) to diffuse ethnic tensions by creating 12 states, each with a share in the newly discovered oil bonanza, but this only fuelled minority demands for the creation of even more states. Today there are 36 states and 774 local government areas based on ethnicity and religion.
Revenues from oil production were divided among the states, ostensibly to enable the resource-poor to maintain social services. But successive military strongmen, politicians, corrupt bureaucrats and businessmen swindled much of the money. The people of the oil-producing areas of the Niger Delta, who bore the brunt of ecological degradation by the oil industry and human-rights abuses of the military, eventually took up arms....
The petroleum industry came into Nigeria and tribes of people were killed by their own government because the oil companies were complaining the local people were protesting. When the protesting didn't work to stop the oil pollution that was killing them and the government was in the company's back pocket the Nigerians took it on their own to try to end the environmental devastation. The companies complained to the government they are not living up to their end of the contract, so the government killed it's own people in Nigeria.
Now, when your own government kills it's own people because of a lousy oil contract, what is left to do?
13 February 2012
Last updated at 12:49 ET
Nigerians Living in Poverty rise to nearly 61% (click here)
Poverty has risen in
Nigeria, with almost 100 million people living on less than a $1 (£0.63)
a day, despite economic growth, statistics have shown.
The bureau predicted this rising trend was likely to continue.
Nigeria is Africa's biggest oil producer but the sector has been tainted by accusations of corruption.
According to the report, absolute poverty is measured by the number of people who can afford only the bare essentials of shelter, food and clothing....
What happens when people live in sustained poverty? Besides violence to achieve greater advantage. When there is no achievement for greater comfort, people turn to personal satiation. That means there needs to be greater opportunity in ways that is not necessarily recognized by traditional venues. Human trafficking can provide a venue of greater wealth and personal satiation.
Page last updated at 09:43 GMT, Tuesday, 9 June 2009 10:43 UK
Royal Dutch Shell (click here) has agreed a $15.5m (£9.7m)
out-of-court settlement in a case accusing it of complicity in human
rights abuses in Nigeria.
The oil giant strongly denies any wrongdoing and says the payment is part of a "process of reconciliation".
The case, initiated 13 years ago, had been due for trial in the US next week.....
Shell held out in payment to Nigeria for as long as it could and realized it was a week before the trial where they would be found guilty and required to pay restoration so they settled. Interest on the dollar, you know? Why pay out any monies from the Shell treasuries before it really had to. Those pennies count over time, ask any CEO on the "bonus dole."...
...Shell has extracted oil (click here) from the Niger Delta since 1958. Shell operates a joint-venture consisting of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Elf and Agip. Shell is by far the largest foreign oil company in Nigeria, accounting for 50 per cent of Nigeria's oil production. Nigeria generated roughly 12 per cent of Shell's oil production world-wide in the late 1990s....
...The shift from non-violent protest to militancy, (click here) and ultimately to armed struggle, was in many respects the inevitable result of the Nigerian government’s brutal repression of the Ogoni movement and the murder of its influential and charismatic leader Ken Saro - Wiwa in November 1995 (Douglas and Okonta 2003)....
The "Genie" has to be put back in the bottle. That is not going to occur if these people are further victimized by BLAMING terrorist organizations that have also been responsible for protecting the very lives of people. This is not that terrible an issue if the global community is taking an interest and actually providing a 'real life' outcome for the people of Nigeria.
This can be complicated in negotiations, but, it is not impossible. A long history of injustice in this country does matter.
Where is the government investment in housing? Where is the government investment in training men to build those houses? Where is the schooling of adults and children alike? When are Nigerians going to live happy and productive lives while they enjoy their very reach cultures?
This is generational and systematic abuse and neglect of these people by industry and their government.
