The Way Forward For The Niger Delta

It is very sad that Niger Delta is slowly becoming the most dangerous place to do oil business in Nigeria. We all read about hostage taking in Iraq, Labanon and other places, little did I know that our people would borrow such horrendious methods to solve a political problem. Whenever a society gets frustrated enough to start taking hostages for political gains that society is doomed for instability and severe economic depressions. Niger Delta do not need to be the Iraq of Nigeria, no matter how frustrating and hopeless the situation may be.

Yes, we live in the most poluted environment in the world. If 25% of the oil spillage in Niger Delta were to occur in the United States, these oil companies would have spent billions of dollars to clean the environment. The citizens of Niger Delta are fishermen and fisherwomen, but due to oil spillage, we are unable to fish anymore. Now we must depend on some government job for employment, which we are not trained for. Oil pipelines run right infront of our homes, with eminent danger of these lines blowing up any day and killing us all. We have gas flares in the middle of our towns, a disaster waiting to happen. No civilized community would allow such atrocities in their community to be commited by another civilized community. To allow such things happen to us says alot about who we are. Yet we are the poorest community in the nation. Why???? What for!?

Nevertheless, I have come to understand that one violence will always start another bigger violence. Therefore, if Niger Delta is to survive as a society, we must abhore voilence and find other ways to solve our economic and political problems. I think this approach will work: first, in the absence of federal economic distribution based on derivation, then all Niger Delta States need to pass laws to abolish oil and gas spillage in their States and impose heavy fines on companies (including banning the companyfrom doing business in Neger Delta)that violate such laws; second, all Niger Delta States must pass laws to mandate all oil-related companies operating in their states to invest 10% of their gross annual income in building local schools, hospitals, scholarship programs, housing, roads, bridges, communications and high-tech job like commercialized fishing, oil refinery, ship and car building. Such monies must not be given to the States, rather such monies must be tied to specific project implementations with possible international NGOs and State supervisions. This amount (10% of anual gross company income) must be tax deductible from the Nigerian federal government. This is the only way to bring stability to the Niger Delta and ensure economic prosperity for both the oil companies and the citizens of the Niger Delta. Fighting the Federal Government has not worked. Hostages taking has only brought us bad media and disgrace. It is time to change course. The Niger Delta problem is a political problem which requires an urgent solution. This is our only way forward.

For more information on the Way forward, please check out the folowing site:
http://www.unitedijawstates.com/our_voices2.htm

Please check out the following sites for more info on oil spillage:

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=RNWE,RNWE:2005-28,RNWE:en&q=oil+spillage+in+niger+delta

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=RNWE,RNWE:2005-28,RNWE:en&q=pipelines+in+Niger+delta