THE CONTINUING STORY OF THE TRUE OWNERSHIP AND CONTROL OF NIGERIAN CRUDE OIL BUSINESS.
In the past few days, we have seen strident effort being made by interested writers and insiders to discredit Senator Ita Enang who has become the central character in this ugly chapter of the Nigerian crude oil story. First, was a lopsided rebuttal by Mr. Akinosho, a self-professed expert in the industry who claimed to have worked for Chevron for about twenty years. Today is the turn of another insider, Mr. Segun Adeniyi, who was the Chief Press Secretary to late President Yar'Adua. How come no Niger Delta indigene, or one of a minority extraction or with my kind of last name has the kind of accessibility to power and job opportunities at the Presidency and at Chevron like these two gentlemen who are presently holding forth for the oil barons? That is the true Nigerian story.
Besides, from what we have seen so far, courtesy of those who are laboring to discredit Senator Ita Enang, it is quite obvious that Niger Delta indigenes and minority groups, in general, are not adequately represented in the crude oil business. That is the sad story of our federal system of government - a blatant abuse of the constitutional principles of Federal Character. This development explains the 'why and reasons' for the deep-seated animosity, of anger and resentment towards oil companies and their staffs in recent years in the Niger Delta.
The earlier we put a stop to further publication of names of the major players in the industry the better and safer for those involved in this business, especially the field workers. After all said and done, the unintended consequences - trying to put a lie to Senator Enang's declaration - would be more devastating than imagined. If the list is being produced to humiliate the Senator, so far, it has failed to do so. Going by the names published in the past few days, the people of the Niger Delta and my good friend, "the common man" are becoming wiser.
You cannot take their land, their water, and their once-thriving fishing trade, and at the same time, exclude them from the crude oil business. The very influential business and political elite groups from the western and northern parts of the country have taken undue advantage of their historical closeness to power and influence at the federal level to suffocate the virtues and true essence of our federal system and the principles of federal character.
And for some of these elite political leaders to now embark on a concerted crusade to impede a legislative initiative intended to compensate those whose economy they have destroyed is brutally brutish, selfish, and anachronistic. It is a new dawn. No one has a monopoly on the internet and social media. Niger Delta is not a conquered territory. The earlier the influential stakeholders in the industry take note of that, discard the false sense of entitlement and act accordingly, the better for everyone.
It is about justice, equity, and equal protection. If all is well in the federal system, no one would be demanding as we are experiencing presently that it is the turn of their tribes or regions to produce the next President. Ethnic allegiance is ripe and well in Nigeria because the dominant tribes made it so. The influential and the privileged few among us cashed in on their unrestricted access to Ribadu Road and Aso Rock to dominate the rest of us and enriched themselves, their families, and their friends from other regions to the detriment of the majority.
Justice is about the fair playing field. In the crude oil business in Nigeria, there is no fair playing field and the dominance of the privileged few is much more open.
If the people of the Niger Delta, whose crude oil you have appropriated for years are not privileged to earn a spot at the high table alongside the major players, at least provide a safe harbor for them to feel wanted in the union. I support the Host Community Fund, even though I still believe that the "Land Reclamation Fund" would have been a better name.
We are facing a fundamental crisis of governance at a monumental proportion. Federal Character gave us a road-map to follow to in order ensure equitable distribution of power and privileges among the various ethnic groups. With respect to allocations of crude oil blocs, a system that is fundamentally broken, Federal Character is never given effect. And the one troubling question that is yet to be answered is: who represents the interests (blocs) of the masses; symbolized by the term, "common man", in Nigeria?
Federal Character is sacrosanct when it strengthens their stranglehold on executive power and all that that comes with it, but the same Federal Character is an aberration when the not so-privileged minority groups demand its application across the board.
A word is enough for the wise! Please pass the PIB now. That is the safest avenue to stabilizing our crude oil production, as well as meeting our quota in the World market. Unless, of course, you want to lose all that you already have in the troubled region. As history has shown us, it is only stability in the region that would guarantee uninterrupted cash flow for every stakeholder. Not a convoluted database or name-calling.
Besides, from what we have seen so far, courtesy of those who are laboring to discredit Senator Ita Enang, it is quite obvious that Niger Delta indigenes and minority groups, in general, are not adequately represented in the crude oil business. That is the sad story of our federal system of government - a blatant abuse of the constitutional principles of Federal Character. This development explains the 'why and reasons' for the deep-seated animosity, of anger and resentment towards oil companies and their staffs in recent years in the Niger Delta.
The earlier we put a stop to further publication of names of the major players in the industry the better and safer for those involved in this business, especially the field workers. After all said and done, the unintended consequences - trying to put a lie to Senator Enang's declaration - would be more devastating than imagined. If the list is being produced to humiliate the Senator, so far, it has failed to do so. Going by the names published in the past few days, the people of the Niger Delta and my good friend, "the common man" are becoming wiser.
You cannot take their land, their water, and their once-thriving fishing trade, and at the same time, exclude them from the crude oil business. The very influential business and political elite groups from the western and northern parts of the country have taken undue advantage of their historical closeness to power and influence at the federal level to suffocate the virtues and true essence of our federal system and the principles of federal character.
And for some of these elite political leaders to now embark on a concerted crusade to impede a legislative initiative intended to compensate those whose economy they have destroyed is brutally brutish, selfish, and anachronistic. It is a new dawn. No one has a monopoly on the internet and social media. Niger Delta is not a conquered territory. The earlier the influential stakeholders in the industry take note of that, discard the false sense of entitlement and act accordingly, the better for everyone.
It is about justice, equity, and equal protection. If all is well in the federal system, no one would be demanding as we are experiencing presently that it is the turn of their tribes or regions to produce the next President. Ethnic allegiance is ripe and well in Nigeria because the dominant tribes made it so. The influential and the privileged few among us cashed in on their unrestricted access to Ribadu Road and Aso Rock to dominate the rest of us and enriched themselves, their families, and their friends from other regions to the detriment of the majority.
Justice is about the fair playing field. In the crude oil business in Nigeria, there is no fair playing field and the dominance of the privileged few is much more open.
If the people of the Niger Delta, whose crude oil you have appropriated for years are not privileged to earn a spot at the high table alongside the major players, at least provide a safe harbor for them to feel wanted in the union. I support the Host Community Fund, even though I still believe that the "Land Reclamation Fund" would have been a better name.
We are facing a fundamental crisis of governance at a monumental proportion. Federal Character gave us a road-map to follow to in order ensure equitable distribution of power and privileges among the various ethnic groups. With respect to allocations of crude oil blocs, a system that is fundamentally broken, Federal Character is never given effect. And the one troubling question that is yet to be answered is: who represents the interests (blocs) of the masses; symbolized by the term, "common man", in Nigeria?
Federal Character is sacrosanct when it strengthens their stranglehold on executive power and all that that comes with it, but the same Federal Character is an aberration when the not so-privileged minority groups demand its application across the board.
A word is enough for the wise! Please pass the PIB now. That is the safest avenue to stabilizing our crude oil production, as well as meeting our quota in the World market. Unless, of course, you want to lose all that you already have in the troubled region. As history has shown us, it is only stability in the region that would guarantee uninterrupted cash flow for every stakeholder. Not a convoluted database or name-calling.
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