Nigeria's most prominent militant group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, says it killed some 29 government soldiers and lost six of its own members in a series of reprisal attacks against the army on Saturday. The army denies there had been any attack. Gilbert da Costa reports from the Nigerian capital, Abuja.A spokesman for the Nigerian military in the restive Niger Delta, Lieutenant Colonel Rabe Abubakar, told VOA no fighting involving government forces and oil rebels has been reported in the Niger Delta. He dismissed rebels' claim of having killed 29 soldiers in three separate attacks.
"I have just spoken to the battalion commander in Bayelsa, and he confirmed to be that all his troops are intact. In fact there was no encounter, talk less of some people have died. There was no encounter whatsoever between the militants and the military. They [militants] keep on concocting different lie. All these things are gimmicks towards portraying us to be either weak, or portraying us to be wicked, or incapable of handling the situation in the Niger Delta," he said.
The main rebel group said the attacks were in response to recent killings of unarmed civilians by soldiers in the Delta, a vast wetlands region which has all of Nigeria's oil.The group said it used fast attack boats, rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank missiles in the action it called Operation Hunter Hunted.
MEND emerged in early 2006 as the leading group calling for a greater share of Nigeria's oil revenues for the oil producing Niger Delta. It has carried out a series of deadly attacks in recent months.Violence in the Delta is rooted in poverty, corruption and lawlessness. Most inhabitants have seen few benefits from five decades of oil extraction that has damaged their environment.Thousands of foreign oil workers have left in the past two years as violence has spiraled, and some industry executives see the situation descending further into lawlessness.
Since the beginning of 2006, attacks by militants in the restive Delta region have cut by 20 percent oil production in Nigeria, Africa's biggest crude producer and the eighth largest world exporter.
(VOA)
Sunday, August 31, 2008
MEND Claims 29 Military Killed
Nigeria's main militant group claims it has killed 29 military personnel in three separate attacks across the country's restive southern oil region.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta says in an e-mail statement Saturday that the near-simultaneous battles came in the three main oil-producing states in the south.
The group reports six of its own fighters were killed in the clashes. They say they launched the assaults as reprisals for attacks they allege the military carried out on civilians.
Officials couldn't immediately be reached for comment.
(AP)
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta says in an e-mail statement Saturday that the near-simultaneous battles came in the three main oil-producing states in the south.
The group reports six of its own fighters were killed in the clashes. They say they launched the assaults as reprisals for attacks they allege the military carried out on civilians.
Officials couldn't immediately be reached for comment.
(AP)
Saturday, August 30, 2008
FPSO Threatened
Some members of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) have condemned the frequent attack on oil facilities in the Niger Delta by militia groups. They said these attacks have always been counter-productive for the people of the region. The group led by Timi Warilado decried the recent attack on Royal Dutch Shell’s Bonga field and its Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, located 75 miles off the Nigerian coast in the Gulf of Guinea on June 19. Warilado said the assault, which shut down the vessel’s 225,000 barrel per day production, also caused major oil spillage in some areas.
“We have, on several occasions, condemned the attacks, and some of their criminal activities. We have also said that we can no longer belong to such groups whose interest is to cause untold hardship on the people of the Niger Delta. “Our stance has made the leadership of MEND to declare some ex-members of the militia group wanted. Efe Makoli, Samuel Izera and three others may have been killed by the group when they carried out a raid on our hideout in Ogbogoro area of River State, as we do not know their whereabouts. Some alleged that they escaped,” he added. Warilado added that the irony of the matter was that even the Federal Government still sees them as hoodlums, while MEND perceives them to be traitors.
The leader alleged that the Federal Government’s earlier belief that the facility was beyond the reach of militant groups was an understatement, since members of the group can stay at sea several days with little or no food.
(This Day)
“We have, on several occasions, condemned the attacks, and some of their criminal activities. We have also said that we can no longer belong to such groups whose interest is to cause untold hardship on the people of the Niger Delta. “Our stance has made the leadership of MEND to declare some ex-members of the militia group wanted. Efe Makoli, Samuel Izera and three others may have been killed by the group when they carried out a raid on our hideout in Ogbogoro area of River State, as we do not know their whereabouts. Some alleged that they escaped,” he added. Warilado added that the irony of the matter was that even the Federal Government still sees them as hoodlums, while MEND perceives them to be traitors.
The leader alleged that the Federal Government’s earlier belief that the facility was beyond the reach of militant groups was an understatement, since members of the group can stay at sea several days with little or no food.
(This Day)
Friday, August 29, 2008
MEND Rescinds Offers Help to Rescue Israeli
The main militant group in Nigeria's Niger Delta region says it has located a kidnapped Israeli businessman, but has rescinded its offer to help rescue him.
Nigerian police say gunmen kidnapped the Israeli businessman from his home in the Niger Delta's main city, Port Harcourt, late Tuesday. In a statement sent to reporters Thursday a spokesman for the Movement for Emancipation of the Niger Delta says it is now demanding an apology from Israel National News, a broadcast service which described MEND as a terrorist group.
The MEND statement says it will now plead with the businessman's captors to be human but will not otherwise intervene.
On Tuesday, the group had said it was not involved in the Israeli man's kidnapping and offered to help secure his release. The Israeli Foreign Ministry says it is doing everything it can to secure the man's release as quickly as possible. Rivers state police say the victim's driver has been arrested on suspicion he was involved in the abduction.
More than 200 foreigners have been kidnapped in the oil-producing region since 2006. Most have been released unharmed for a ransom.Militants have carried out attacks and kidnappings in the Niger Delta as part of a campaign to direct more oil revenue to local communities. Criminal gangs in the region have also exploited the situation and carried out kidnappings for ransom.
The government has deployed a military joint task force to the Niger Delta region to counter attacks that have reduced the nation's oil production.
(VOA)
Nigerian police say gunmen kidnapped the Israeli businessman from his home in the Niger Delta's main city, Port Harcourt, late Tuesday. In a statement sent to reporters Thursday a spokesman for the Movement for Emancipation of the Niger Delta says it is now demanding an apology from Israel National News, a broadcast service which described MEND as a terrorist group.
The MEND statement says it will now plead with the businessman's captors to be human but will not otherwise intervene.
On Tuesday, the group had said it was not involved in the Israeli man's kidnapping and offered to help secure his release. The Israeli Foreign Ministry says it is doing everything it can to secure the man's release as quickly as possible. Rivers state police say the victim's driver has been arrested on suspicion he was involved in the abduction.
More than 200 foreigners have been kidnapped in the oil-producing region since 2006. Most have been released unharmed for a ransom.Militants have carried out attacks and kidnappings in the Niger Delta as part of a campaign to direct more oil revenue to local communities. Criminal gangs in the region have also exploited the situation and carried out kidnappings for ransom.
The government has deployed a military joint task force to the Niger Delta region to counter attacks that have reduced the nation's oil production.
(VOA)
Apalling Conditions in Niger Delta Decried
Former United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Professor Walter C. Carrington, who served as the American Envoy between November 1993 and October 1997 was on a visit to Nigeria a couple of days back during which time he delivered a lecture. He also granted interview to some journalists in Lagos on various issues ranging from the US politics, the Nigerian media, his experience as the US Envoy in Nigeria, particularly under a military regime and the Niger/Delta problem.
He also talked about the United States electoral process and the lessons African countries, especially Nigeria can learn from the way democracy is practiced in America.Excerpts:
You were in Nigeria before as the US Ambassador. How would you compare the period you served here with the present situation in Nigeria?
To me now, Nigeria has become a different country from what it was when I was here as the Ambassador. For instance, the issue of the freedom for the media, is a ready example. Then, many of the publications that many of you represent would probably not have been publishing quite a number of stories due to the prevalent condition then.
A number of you from the way you were carrying on your profession might be different now. I knew quite a number of people at that time cannot produce their reports from their offices like now. Some of you then produced from their laptops in their cars somewhere, they were working under a great threat then. What I cherished much is that most of you were able to persevere under what I called a very dangerous kind of situation. Now you have a system in which the people have the right to decide who their leaders should be.
The system makes the job of the press to be easier now.The role of the press as the watchdog of the society is something important, especially in bringing to the public what the government would rather not want to be mentioned. The press to me has to continue to function well and be the watchdog of the people. The problem arising from the agitation by the people of the Niger/Delta to control their oil resources has taken an international dimension recently.
In what way do you think these problems could be resolved?
As far as the problems in the Niger/Delta and the international world are concerned, I would say that one of the causes of the problems is for the authority to deal justly with the people of the Niger/Delta. When I was here, the issue of derivation and what happened to the resources generated from the oil resources were the burning issues. Today it is still the same thing.
Let me use the states like Texas and Oklahoma as example in the United States. These two states are the centre of the US oil and when one examines them you see how well they do. You come back to the Niger/Delta and see the appalling conditions prevalent in the area. It has been so for sometimes, and I am greatly concerned. I think there has to be justice. Until that happens you continue to have the type of unrest that faced the country and the world now.
Secondly, there is more interest from the outside world because of the oil. But that does not mean that the interest is limited only to the fact that there is oil in that area. It is not because there is availability of the oil, but the understanding that there should be pressure to make the situation better than what it is today. That is one of the greatest challenges that is facing Nigeria today.
How would you think Nigerians, especially the people in the media can maximise the opportunity available to them and ensure that democracy thrives in Nigeria and Africa?
You cannot have a democracy without a free press and you cannot have a free press without democracy. So the two go hand in hand. It is important that the press does its job without inhibitions. If you have the press that people can trust, the better it is. If they feel you are too partisan or may be you are in the pay role of some people that would definitely affect the profession, you may have some credibility problems. You have to be independent and the media is the voice of the people. That is very important. But you and I understand that you cannot limit your coverage to sensational stories alone. As I said, whenever something is buried, you have to dig it out.
How do you assess the present government’s approach to the numerous battles against corruption in Nigeria?
Actually, I cannot comment now on what is happening about corruption and the EFCC. When it was established I had great hope and the idea behind it was a good one and I have to point out that it is very important that the anti-corruption agencies needed to be independent for them to operate without the government intervention. In the United States, it is the type of thing where we appoint special prosecutors to do. They go after government officials who may have been involved in corrupt practices. I think sometimes in the past it often had been seen that it (EFCC) goes after the opponents of the regime. I hope that has changed now. But it is important that the agencies have to be independent. You cannot see a better fight against corruption when such agencies are the arm of government or agency of a political party.
What do you think Nigeria can learn from the electioneering process in America, especially when it (Nigeria) is now embarking on a move to reform its electoral process?
The very important aspect of the electoral process is for it to be open and transparent. Every citizen has to feel that they have as much inputs on elections as anybody else, ensuring that it is not any godfathers running the process and that everybody is involved. The only way you can do that is to have a system that requires that political parties and candidates publish who gave them money and how the money is used. In America we have the limit of how much an individual can give and who can give money, especially from the corporate organisations. The most important thing is that you need to get your political operators accountable to the state.You also have to get a system that punishes those who break the law. You cannot have a situation where people are driving away other people from voting, where they are using money to influence people to vote. In our own country (US), our parties in terms of policy assist the candidate to raise money and make people to vote. Beyond that the party cannot determine how a person runs the government. You owe your allegiance to people who elected you into office, not to the party or to any godfather. That is extremely important that your first loyalty is to the people not the party. The party cannot dictate in the United States to any candidate, they cannot sanction .
This reminds me a question asked by a 75-year old democrat, who was asked the party he belongs to. He responded that I do not belong to any organised party, but I am a democrat. In our system the party does not control candidate.
I would say that in Nigeria and in most other countries in Africa, Barrack Obama or John Macchain may not get their party nomination. This is because both of them did not come from the lines of big men from the parties. Clinton was already with the democratic party and in other situation she would get the nomination of her party considering the kind of support she had.John Macchain on his own did not even have the support of the White House, you imagine a candidate of a ruling party here getting nomination of his party without the support of Aso Rock. That is the strength of the America political system.
What is the feeling of the American government about the present administration of Alhaji Umar Yar’Adua, especially from the premise that the election that brought him (Yar’Adua) to office was extremely faulted?
I do not have the inside access to the government on their feelings about the present government of Yar’Adua. I think that people generally hope that he will be an effective president for Nigeria. I think people are already impressed with his style and the fact that he himself is an upright man. Beyond that I cannot comment. I did know his brother, who was killed by the Abacha people. I hope and believe that he will perform as expected. I believe it would be better for Nigerians to comment more on that.The western press to some of us are more sensationalised like you have said about Nigerian press.
The Western press never report anything positive about Africa. What is your view about this?
As far as coverage and sensationalisation is concerned, the American press almost share the same things with you. There is no doubt about that. Also, there is no question that Africa is not covered the way it ought to be. In fact, I organised a conference in Boston on the press; the way it does and does not cover Africa. I called it“Africa uncovered.” The problem is that people don’t know much about Africa, they have too many stories. People still think about Africa as a country rather than a continent. There is no understanding on the great differences on the individual kind of issue that one have to deal with. These are issues of concern. I always felt that Africa still needs much more attention and coverage.
In view of the fact that Nigeria practices presidential system of government and fails while America practices the same system, do you suggest that we opt for another system of government?
This is another area where it is only Nigerians that can effectively and competently speak on. It is not an issue that an outsider can successfully discuss. For the mere reason that other people are doing it does not mean that it is necessary you have to do it. It is not a good reason. Whether the system is corrupt or not corrupt legal or illegal, moral or immoral, the fact that other people are doing it as well doesn’t make it more legal, doesn’t make it more moral or corrupt or less corrupt. You have to judge each case on its value and its relevance.
If you are inculcating an idea into a child, it is not because another kid is doing it, that makes it right. It is wrong to conclude that somebody is doing something, others have to adopt the same system.
Can you give us an insight into your book being compiled about Nigeria?
My wife’s here, she is always asking me the question, when are you going to finish writing the book? The book is going to be a study about Nigeria, the military rule, using the Abacha period as a focus point. But definitely, I will move beyond that because, I will address the question of democracy, the question of human rights and the American policy. It will be an authority in the account of that period. It will also discuss what our policy was and the policy of some other countries. I hope to give account of my stay in Nigeria as well as I can, and to discuss the history of Nigeria up to that period and some of the things that happened. That is all I hope to do. Also I will try and answer many questions about that period as I can, from my perspective.
Let us know the issues that will be on the front burner at the convention of the Democratic Party in the U.S. and also we want you to explain the significance of electoral college in America’s electoral process?
In the elections, there are two overriding issues. One is the issue of National Security and foreign policy, the other is the question of the economy. The dollar is not as strong as it used to be while the economy is not as healthy as it was before. So, this is the situation.There is another issue that is receiving serious attention now in the US, with the two main political parties, the Republican and the Democratic persuading their supporters. That is the right of a woman to choose, whether or not to carry a pregnancy.
The question of abortion is a big issue, precisely because, the next President of the United States will name one or two members to the Supreme Court. There were nine members of the Supreme Court. This is a single and important appointment that any US President can make. They are the final determinant of what is constitutional and what is not. Next to the President, they are probably the most important and powerful people in the country. Certainly they are the most powerful unelected people in the country. Currently, the court is divided, five to four on the controversial issue of abortion.
There was a famous case in the 70’s which established the rights of a woman in the constitution on whether or not to have abortion which was a private right and that the state could not get involved. And ever since then, the conservative in the United States opposed to that have been trying to overturn it. Right now, on most circumstances it is legal to have abortion. This is really a big issue in the United States now, as to the question of who is going to remain as the Justices of the Supreme Court.
Because, the two people who are likely to leave the court are both supporters of the right of women to have abortion. So, this is one issue dividing the country right now. You see the Democratic platform much more in support of the women’s right, while the Republican’s extreme view is that abortion is illegal, even if the health of the mother is at risk. That is most extreme.
(Vanguard)
He also talked about the United States electoral process and the lessons African countries, especially Nigeria can learn from the way democracy is practiced in America.Excerpts:
You were in Nigeria before as the US Ambassador. How would you compare the period you served here with the present situation in Nigeria?
To me now, Nigeria has become a different country from what it was when I was here as the Ambassador. For instance, the issue of the freedom for the media, is a ready example. Then, many of the publications that many of you represent would probably not have been publishing quite a number of stories due to the prevalent condition then.
A number of you from the way you were carrying on your profession might be different now. I knew quite a number of people at that time cannot produce their reports from their offices like now. Some of you then produced from their laptops in their cars somewhere, they were working under a great threat then. What I cherished much is that most of you were able to persevere under what I called a very dangerous kind of situation. Now you have a system in which the people have the right to decide who their leaders should be.
The system makes the job of the press to be easier now.The role of the press as the watchdog of the society is something important, especially in bringing to the public what the government would rather not want to be mentioned. The press to me has to continue to function well and be the watchdog of the people. The problem arising from the agitation by the people of the Niger/Delta to control their oil resources has taken an international dimension recently.
In what way do you think these problems could be resolved?
As far as the problems in the Niger/Delta and the international world are concerned, I would say that one of the causes of the problems is for the authority to deal justly with the people of the Niger/Delta. When I was here, the issue of derivation and what happened to the resources generated from the oil resources were the burning issues. Today it is still the same thing.
Let me use the states like Texas and Oklahoma as example in the United States. These two states are the centre of the US oil and when one examines them you see how well they do. You come back to the Niger/Delta and see the appalling conditions prevalent in the area. It has been so for sometimes, and I am greatly concerned. I think there has to be justice. Until that happens you continue to have the type of unrest that faced the country and the world now.
Secondly, there is more interest from the outside world because of the oil. But that does not mean that the interest is limited only to the fact that there is oil in that area. It is not because there is availability of the oil, but the understanding that there should be pressure to make the situation better than what it is today. That is one of the greatest challenges that is facing Nigeria today.
How would you think Nigerians, especially the people in the media can maximise the opportunity available to them and ensure that democracy thrives in Nigeria and Africa?
You cannot have a democracy without a free press and you cannot have a free press without democracy. So the two go hand in hand. It is important that the press does its job without inhibitions. If you have the press that people can trust, the better it is. If they feel you are too partisan or may be you are in the pay role of some people that would definitely affect the profession, you may have some credibility problems. You have to be independent and the media is the voice of the people. That is very important. But you and I understand that you cannot limit your coverage to sensational stories alone. As I said, whenever something is buried, you have to dig it out.
How do you assess the present government’s approach to the numerous battles against corruption in Nigeria?
Actually, I cannot comment now on what is happening about corruption and the EFCC. When it was established I had great hope and the idea behind it was a good one and I have to point out that it is very important that the anti-corruption agencies needed to be independent for them to operate without the government intervention. In the United States, it is the type of thing where we appoint special prosecutors to do. They go after government officials who may have been involved in corrupt practices. I think sometimes in the past it often had been seen that it (EFCC) goes after the opponents of the regime. I hope that has changed now. But it is important that the agencies have to be independent. You cannot see a better fight against corruption when such agencies are the arm of government or agency of a political party.
What do you think Nigeria can learn from the electioneering process in America, especially when it (Nigeria) is now embarking on a move to reform its electoral process?
The very important aspect of the electoral process is for it to be open and transparent. Every citizen has to feel that they have as much inputs on elections as anybody else, ensuring that it is not any godfathers running the process and that everybody is involved. The only way you can do that is to have a system that requires that political parties and candidates publish who gave them money and how the money is used. In America we have the limit of how much an individual can give and who can give money, especially from the corporate organisations. The most important thing is that you need to get your political operators accountable to the state.You also have to get a system that punishes those who break the law. You cannot have a situation where people are driving away other people from voting, where they are using money to influence people to vote. In our own country (US), our parties in terms of policy assist the candidate to raise money and make people to vote. Beyond that the party cannot determine how a person runs the government. You owe your allegiance to people who elected you into office, not to the party or to any godfather. That is extremely important that your first loyalty is to the people not the party. The party cannot dictate in the United States to any candidate, they cannot sanction .
This reminds me a question asked by a 75-year old democrat, who was asked the party he belongs to. He responded that I do not belong to any organised party, but I am a democrat. In our system the party does not control candidate.
I would say that in Nigeria and in most other countries in Africa, Barrack Obama or John Macchain may not get their party nomination. This is because both of them did not come from the lines of big men from the parties. Clinton was already with the democratic party and in other situation she would get the nomination of her party considering the kind of support she had.John Macchain on his own did not even have the support of the White House, you imagine a candidate of a ruling party here getting nomination of his party without the support of Aso Rock. That is the strength of the America political system.
What is the feeling of the American government about the present administration of Alhaji Umar Yar’Adua, especially from the premise that the election that brought him (Yar’Adua) to office was extremely faulted?
I do not have the inside access to the government on their feelings about the present government of Yar’Adua. I think that people generally hope that he will be an effective president for Nigeria. I think people are already impressed with his style and the fact that he himself is an upright man. Beyond that I cannot comment. I did know his brother, who was killed by the Abacha people. I hope and believe that he will perform as expected. I believe it would be better for Nigerians to comment more on that.The western press to some of us are more sensationalised like you have said about Nigerian press.
The Western press never report anything positive about Africa. What is your view about this?
As far as coverage and sensationalisation is concerned, the American press almost share the same things with you. There is no doubt about that. Also, there is no question that Africa is not covered the way it ought to be. In fact, I organised a conference in Boston on the press; the way it does and does not cover Africa. I called it“Africa uncovered.” The problem is that people don’t know much about Africa, they have too many stories. People still think about Africa as a country rather than a continent. There is no understanding on the great differences on the individual kind of issue that one have to deal with. These are issues of concern. I always felt that Africa still needs much more attention and coverage.
In view of the fact that Nigeria practices presidential system of government and fails while America practices the same system, do you suggest that we opt for another system of government?
This is another area where it is only Nigerians that can effectively and competently speak on. It is not an issue that an outsider can successfully discuss. For the mere reason that other people are doing it does not mean that it is necessary you have to do it. It is not a good reason. Whether the system is corrupt or not corrupt legal or illegal, moral or immoral, the fact that other people are doing it as well doesn’t make it more legal, doesn’t make it more moral or corrupt or less corrupt. You have to judge each case on its value and its relevance.
If you are inculcating an idea into a child, it is not because another kid is doing it, that makes it right. It is wrong to conclude that somebody is doing something, others have to adopt the same system.
Can you give us an insight into your book being compiled about Nigeria?
My wife’s here, she is always asking me the question, when are you going to finish writing the book? The book is going to be a study about Nigeria, the military rule, using the Abacha period as a focus point. But definitely, I will move beyond that because, I will address the question of democracy, the question of human rights and the American policy. It will be an authority in the account of that period. It will also discuss what our policy was and the policy of some other countries. I hope to give account of my stay in Nigeria as well as I can, and to discuss the history of Nigeria up to that period and some of the things that happened. That is all I hope to do. Also I will try and answer many questions about that period as I can, from my perspective.
Let us know the issues that will be on the front burner at the convention of the Democratic Party in the U.S. and also we want you to explain the significance of electoral college in America’s electoral process?
In the elections, there are two overriding issues. One is the issue of National Security and foreign policy, the other is the question of the economy. The dollar is not as strong as it used to be while the economy is not as healthy as it was before. So, this is the situation.There is another issue that is receiving serious attention now in the US, with the two main political parties, the Republican and the Democratic persuading their supporters. That is the right of a woman to choose, whether or not to carry a pregnancy.
The question of abortion is a big issue, precisely because, the next President of the United States will name one or two members to the Supreme Court. There were nine members of the Supreme Court. This is a single and important appointment that any US President can make. They are the final determinant of what is constitutional and what is not. Next to the President, they are probably the most important and powerful people in the country. Certainly they are the most powerful unelected people in the country. Currently, the court is divided, five to four on the controversial issue of abortion.
There was a famous case in the 70’s which established the rights of a woman in the constitution on whether or not to have abortion which was a private right and that the state could not get involved. And ever since then, the conservative in the United States opposed to that have been trying to overturn it. Right now, on most circumstances it is legal to have abortion. This is really a big issue in the United States now, as to the question of who is going to remain as the Justices of the Supreme Court.
Because, the two people who are likely to leave the court are both supporters of the right of women to have abortion. So, this is one issue dividing the country right now. You see the Democratic platform much more in support of the women’s right, while the Republican’s extreme view is that abortion is illegal, even if the health of the mother is at risk. That is most extreme.
(Vanguard)
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Kidnapping: Rivers State Bemoans Problem
These are definitely not happy times for the Rivers State Government and its helmsman, Governor Chibuike Amaechi. No thanks to those behind the spate of abductions, a thriving filthy lucre in the state, and the mindless blood letting by unrepentant cultists, the regime’s long-launched race for the development of the oil-rich state has been showed down.
Suddenly, once busy project sites spread all over the state have been turned into scenes of near graveyard silence, not because of the poor funding but due to the race for dear life by workers.
As most top government functionaries, particularly, the governor has announced publicly, the government’s spirit and purse are willingly to get the projects that run into scores of billions of Naira going but the work men are scarcely there.
The last straw that broke the camel’s already aching back was the kidnap of two expatriate staff of construction giant, Julius Berger, in-charge of most of the major road and bridge construction projects of the administration.Apparently afraid that the hostage-takers might come for more of its prized workers, the company fled the state about six weeks ago, leaving behind, unfinished projects many of which were scheduled to be completed and handed over before the first anniversary of the regime in late October, this year.
Prominent among the projects are the Eleme Junction Fly-Over in Port Harcourt that was meant to end the nightmare of motorists who ply that axis of ever-busy Port Harcourt-Aba Express Way and a similar one that is to link the Eagle Island to the capital city and the suburbs as well as the Eastern By-PassAmadiama Road bridge.
Besides, the consequent endless traffic hold-ups, the abandoned projects have also swallowed several thousands of gainful employments.Speaking recently at a thanksgiving service held at the New Covenant Anglican Church, Port Harcourt for Mrs Bright Hayford, wife of the Chairman of the Federated Correspondents Chapel of NUJ in the State, Mr. Lawson Hayford, the governor stated that more than 4,500 indigenes of the state lost their jobs to Julius Berger’s exit.
Bemoaning the dwindling socio-economic fortunes of the spate of violence and kidnapping for ransom, Governor Amaechi told the worshipers that many companies have fled the state due to insecurity.
In an indirect answer-back to those urging for dialogue with the “insurgents so-called” as Justice Kayode Eso who heads the State Truth and Reconciliation Commission would want them identified, the governor said the preferred drug for social ailment is official use of force.“I believe that as a government, the greatest challenge I have is security.
The solution is the use of force.“I assure you that we will confront them and I want you to be behind us. We must do the right thing”.He saw those behind the orgy of abductions and violence as self-confessed barefaced criminals who are after their selfish interests and insisted that they must be hunted down.
Already, many suspected hide-outs of the insurgents have been combed by the government forces and scores of suspected militants either mowed or arrested. And the anti-militants war beat goes on.
Daily Sun
Suddenly, once busy project sites spread all over the state have been turned into scenes of near graveyard silence, not because of the poor funding but due to the race for dear life by workers.
As most top government functionaries, particularly, the governor has announced publicly, the government’s spirit and purse are willingly to get the projects that run into scores of billions of Naira going but the work men are scarcely there.
The last straw that broke the camel’s already aching back was the kidnap of two expatriate staff of construction giant, Julius Berger, in-charge of most of the major road and bridge construction projects of the administration.Apparently afraid that the hostage-takers might come for more of its prized workers, the company fled the state about six weeks ago, leaving behind, unfinished projects many of which were scheduled to be completed and handed over before the first anniversary of the regime in late October, this year.
Prominent among the projects are the Eleme Junction Fly-Over in Port Harcourt that was meant to end the nightmare of motorists who ply that axis of ever-busy Port Harcourt-Aba Express Way and a similar one that is to link the Eagle Island to the capital city and the suburbs as well as the Eastern By-PassAmadiama Road bridge.
Besides, the consequent endless traffic hold-ups, the abandoned projects have also swallowed several thousands of gainful employments.Speaking recently at a thanksgiving service held at the New Covenant Anglican Church, Port Harcourt for Mrs Bright Hayford, wife of the Chairman of the Federated Correspondents Chapel of NUJ in the State, Mr. Lawson Hayford, the governor stated that more than 4,500 indigenes of the state lost their jobs to Julius Berger’s exit.
Bemoaning the dwindling socio-economic fortunes of the spate of violence and kidnapping for ransom, Governor Amaechi told the worshipers that many companies have fled the state due to insecurity.
In an indirect answer-back to those urging for dialogue with the “insurgents so-called” as Justice Kayode Eso who heads the State Truth and Reconciliation Commission would want them identified, the governor said the preferred drug for social ailment is official use of force.“I believe that as a government, the greatest challenge I have is security.
The solution is the use of force.“I assure you that we will confront them and I want you to be behind us. We must do the right thing”.He saw those behind the orgy of abductions and violence as self-confessed barefaced criminals who are after their selfish interests and insisted that they must be hunted down.
Already, many suspected hide-outs of the insurgents have been combed by the government forces and scores of suspected militants either mowed or arrested. And the anti-militants war beat goes on.
Daily Sun
Shell Problems Continue
Oil production at an oil installation off the Nigerian coast remains halted because staff are suffering from shock after a militant attack, officials say.
The attack on the Royal Dutch Shell facility stopped about 10% of Nigeria's oil production. Shell also said the militants had damaged equipment.
An American hostage was released after a few hours.
It is the first attack on an offshore facility, previously thought safe despite a wave of inshore attacks.
Shell also said the emergency shutdown might have damaged equipment, which would have to be repaired.
The raid took place on the Bonga oil platform about 120km (75 miles) off the coast of the Niger Delta.
Shell has also been blamed for an oil spill in the Ogoni region of the Delta.
Oil is gushing from disused pipes abandoned by the company when it left the region nearly 15 years ago, following local protests.
Attacks on the inshore Niger Delta have helped drive up world oil prices and previously cut Nigeria's output by about 20%.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) claimed it carried out the attack in an e-mail sent to journalists.
Several people were reported to have been injured. Mend says it is campaigning for a greater share of the region's oil wealth to be kept by local people, but the government says they are criminals, motivated by the ransoms they receive from oil companies.
Ogoni spill
Our correspondent says Bonga was new, expensive and working well despite the difficulties and repeated attacks affecting the company's inshore operations in the Delta.
The militants in the Delta are getting more sophisticated and better equipped and armed, he says.
Now they have proven that in terms of distance at least, all of Nigeria's facilities are within their reach.
Local activists in the Ogoni region have asked Shell to come and contain the oil spill that has covered farmland.
The yellow brown oil is flowing through the village of Kpor and into a stream about a mile away.
Villagers told the BBC they heard a "thunderous noise" and ran to the spot to see oil spraying all over their land.
Last week the government revoked Shell's rights to drill for oil in Ogoni saying the company had "lost the trust" of the local community.
Shell stopped drilling there in 1993 after pressure from the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (Mosop) and it has not returned since.
A Shell spokesman said in the past such spills have been because saboteurs damaged sealed well heads.
Source: BBC
The attack on the Royal Dutch Shell facility stopped about 10% of Nigeria's oil production. Shell also said the militants had damaged equipment.
An American hostage was released after a few hours.
It is the first attack on an offshore facility, previously thought safe despite a wave of inshore attacks.
Shell also said the emergency shutdown might have damaged equipment, which would have to be repaired.
The raid took place on the Bonga oil platform about 120km (75 miles) off the coast of the Niger Delta.
Shell has also been blamed for an oil spill in the Ogoni region of the Delta.
Oil is gushing from disused pipes abandoned by the company when it left the region nearly 15 years ago, following local protests.
Attacks on the inshore Niger Delta have helped drive up world oil prices and previously cut Nigeria's output by about 20%.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) claimed it carried out the attack in an e-mail sent to journalists.
Several people were reported to have been injured. Mend says it is campaigning for a greater share of the region's oil wealth to be kept by local people, but the government says they are criminals, motivated by the ransoms they receive from oil companies.
Ogoni spill
Our correspondent says Bonga was new, expensive and working well despite the difficulties and repeated attacks affecting the company's inshore operations in the Delta.
The militants in the Delta are getting more sophisticated and better equipped and armed, he says.
Now they have proven that in terms of distance at least, all of Nigeria's facilities are within their reach.
Local activists in the Ogoni region have asked Shell to come and contain the oil spill that has covered farmland.
The yellow brown oil is flowing through the village of Kpor and into a stream about a mile away.
Villagers told the BBC they heard a "thunderous noise" and ran to the spot to see oil spraying all over their land.
Last week the government revoked Shell's rights to drill for oil in Ogoni saying the company had "lost the trust" of the local community.
Shell stopped drilling there in 1993 after pressure from the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (Mosop) and it has not returned since.
A Shell spokesman said in the past such spills have been because saboteurs damaged sealed well heads.
Source: BBC
Oil Output On The Rise
NIGERIA’S crude oil output bounced back from two months consecutive drop which saw it lose its number one slot as Africa’s top producer to Angola, to close at 1.9 million barrels per day in the month of July, a Platt survey revealed.
The country’s oil production also showed signs of improvement in the first few days of August with an average of more than 2.1 million barrels per day (bpd).
Nigeria’s production got a boost from restored shut in volumes, increasing by 100,000 bpd in July to average 1.9 million bpd over the month.
However, indications are that the volume of crude oil still shut in owing to attacks by militants as well as technical issues at fields in the Niger Delta stood at 1.533 million bpd, more shut in volumes than has ever been recorded in peace time anywhere.
In May, Nigeria’s output stood at 1.86 million barrels per day, while production for June dropped to 1.8 million barrels per day.
Angola’s output has risen steadily as new fields off the country’s coast come on stream and this is on course to climb by 30,000 barrels per day in July.
The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries’ (OPEC) 13 members boosted their collective crude oil production by 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) in July to average 32.77 million bpd over the month, according to a Platts survey of OPEC and oil industry officials just released.
Excluding Iraq, the 12 members bound by output agreements produced an average 30.31 million bpd in July, or 330,000 bpd more than June’s 29.98 million bpd and 637,000 bpd in excess of their 29.673 million bpd target, the survey showed.
“It’s notable that suddenly, with output rising, OPEC officials are concerned about adherence to quotas and oversupply,” said Platts Global Director of Oil John Kingston. “However, as we look toward the fourth quarter of the year, barring a more significant decline in demand, the world is going to need OPEC oil to avoid a larger inventory draw than is normal for the fourth quarter. Pulling inventories at that rate would be very bullish for prices.”
Increases totalling 390,000 bpd from Iran, Kuwait, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia were partly offset by declines in Libya and Iraq.
The biggest single increase came from Saudi Arabia, which delivered on its promise to boost output to 9.7 million bpd in July from 9.45 million bpd in June.
Libyan volumes, already down in May and June because of repair work at Total’s al-Jurf field, fell further in July as maintenance work got underway on a pipeline linking the Waha and Defa oil fields.
Libya’s top oil official, Shokri Ghanem, who heads the National Oil Corporation, told Platts last week that the work on the pipeline and the field would continue for some weeks.
Iraqi volumes fell by 30,000 bpd to 2.46 million bpd. OPEC ministers meet September 9 in Vienna. International crude futures prices have fallen by some 20 per cent from records above $147/barrel in early July and some ministers have talked of possible intervention if prices continue on their sharp downtrend.
Iranian oil minister Gholamhossein Nozari said earlier this month that if prices continued to fall, the Vienna meeting would focus on closer adherence to production targets, while his Qatari counterpart, Abdullah al-Attiyah, said OPEC was ready to intervene to restore market balance if it felt supply was outstripping demand.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
MEND Accuses Army of Extrajudicial Executions
The most prominent armed group in Nigeria's volatile oil-rich Niger Delta, MEND, Wednesday accused the military of carrying out extra-judicial executions of 22 captured insurgents in the region.
"The Joint Task Force of the military today carried out summary executions of all the cultists captured yesterday in Port Harcourt," the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) said in an e-mail to the media.
"Twenty-two ...were executed by the military, MEND said, responding to enquiries by AFP.
"Regardless of the perceived offences of the men, it is not for the military but for the law courts to decide on the penalty for each of the individuals. This action again demonstrates the indiscipline and frustration of the Nigerian military," it added.
The rebels were captured Tuesday during a gunbattle with the military in Nigeria's oil hub Port Harcourt in which at least two gang members died, military and industry sources said.
The military authorities were not available to comment on MEND's accusations Wednesday.
The Nigerian military stages periodic crackdowns on armed groups in the Niger Delta, where attacks by so-called militant groups have reduced Nigeria's oil output by more than one quarter.
Monday, August 18, 2008
MEND & Berger - An Analysis
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) took on Julius Berger, a subsidiary of German construction giant Bilfinger Berger, saying it had built its Nigerian empire on the back of the country’s crude oil profits. It further accused it of making profits through corrupt dealings with government officials who awarded it lucrative contracts in return for free mansions and other incentives. The company is a household name in Nigeria, a market it has exploited for decades, mainly through close ties with successive governments.
Mend took issue with the fact that Julius Berger stopped operations in the delta after two of its workers were kidnapped by militants. The group gave the company a deadline to withdraw its staff from operations in the capital, Abuja, or it would remove them itself.
The government intervened on the company’s behalf, saying Mend would meet severe force if it carried out its threat to invade Abuja.
Mend told journalists the government had offered it a $20m bribe to prevent it from shifting the theatre of battle from the delta to Abuja. The rebels declined the bribe, so they said, but the story went remarkably quiet after that.
The corruption that has bedevilled development in Nigeria is most pervasive in the oil sector. But it is not just about that sector; it is also about the uses to which oil revenues have been put in the broader economy and who they have benefited. This, loosely, is the point Mend seemed to be making, albeit crudely.
But corruption is infectious and it is becoming common cause that the militants fighting for a better deal for communities in the delta are themselves becoming corrupt, thus making resolution of the problems more intractable.
In Nigeria, successive governments have, by ignoring the plight of communities in oil producing areas, created by default the rebel movement they now cannot control. Attempts by the Yar’Adua administration to tackle the problem have been constrained not just by the complexity of the problem but by the slippery nature of their opponents.
These groups, notably Mend, appear to be gaining in strength and influence and, some say, they are getting quite rich in the process.
As well as the alleged $20m bribe, Mend has been offered money to stop attacking oil pipelines and to allow those they have damaged to be repaired. The opportunities for extortion are endless.
Mend is not asking for development as much as it is asking for money, more specifically a much larger share of oil revenues for the oil-producing states so they can effect their own development.
That may sound simple but the oil-producing states have consistently been the most corrupt of Nigeria’s 36 states. Staggering sums given to state governments for development over the years have been siphoned off by officials.
Giving money direct to communities would sidestep official corruption but create other channels for corruption as there are no community development plans in place, nor local capacity, to absorb large revenue streams sustainably.
While the government wrings its hands over the issue, the situation is deteriorating. Violent clashes between soldiers and militants are becoming more common and increased security threats have led oil companies to relocate their staff and operations to Lagos. Production has been cut by about 20% after repeated attacks on oil pipelines, hitting government revenues.
But the push for all parties to act in good faith to resolve the problem will only happen when the money runs out and opportunities for corruption are removed. That is not likely to happen for some time.
So the delta communities may as well hunker down. Any light at the end of their tunnel is most likely to be an approaching train.
(Business Day)
Mend took issue with the fact that Julius Berger stopped operations in the delta after two of its workers were kidnapped by militants. The group gave the company a deadline to withdraw its staff from operations in the capital, Abuja, or it would remove them itself.
The government intervened on the company’s behalf, saying Mend would meet severe force if it carried out its threat to invade Abuja.
Mend told journalists the government had offered it a $20m bribe to prevent it from shifting the theatre of battle from the delta to Abuja. The rebels declined the bribe, so they said, but the story went remarkably quiet after that.
The corruption that has bedevilled development in Nigeria is most pervasive in the oil sector. But it is not just about that sector; it is also about the uses to which oil revenues have been put in the broader economy and who they have benefited. This, loosely, is the point Mend seemed to be making, albeit crudely.
But corruption is infectious and it is becoming common cause that the militants fighting for a better deal for communities in the delta are themselves becoming corrupt, thus making resolution of the problems more intractable.
In Nigeria, successive governments have, by ignoring the plight of communities in oil producing areas, created by default the rebel movement they now cannot control. Attempts by the Yar’Adua administration to tackle the problem have been constrained not just by the complexity of the problem but by the slippery nature of their opponents.
These groups, notably Mend, appear to be gaining in strength and influence and, some say, they are getting quite rich in the process.
As well as the alleged $20m bribe, Mend has been offered money to stop attacking oil pipelines and to allow those they have damaged to be repaired. The opportunities for extortion are endless.
Mend is not asking for development as much as it is asking for money, more specifically a much larger share of oil revenues for the oil-producing states so they can effect their own development.
That may sound simple but the oil-producing states have consistently been the most corrupt of Nigeria’s 36 states. Staggering sums given to state governments for development over the years have been siphoned off by officials.
Giving money direct to communities would sidestep official corruption but create other channels for corruption as there are no community development plans in place, nor local capacity, to absorb large revenue streams sustainably.
While the government wrings its hands over the issue, the situation is deteriorating. Violent clashes between soldiers and militants are becoming more common and increased security threats have led oil companies to relocate their staff and operations to Lagos. Production has been cut by about 20% after repeated attacks on oil pipelines, hitting government revenues.
But the push for all parties to act in good faith to resolve the problem will only happen when the money runs out and opportunities for corruption are removed. That is not likely to happen for some time.
So the delta communities may as well hunker down. Any light at the end of their tunnel is most likely to be an approaching train.
(Business Day)
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Troops Claim 12 Militants Killed
Twelve Nigerian militants and a naval officer were killed in a gunbattle on Friday near a Royal Dutch Shell natural gas plant in the oil-producing Niger Delta, military and security sources said.
Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, spokesman for the military task force in southern Rivers state, said militants ambushed two navy gunboats on patrol in Rivers state. The Shell-operated gas plant did not come under fire.
"This evening our men of the (Joint Task Force) came under attack around Alakiri on the Port Harcourt-Bonny sea route," said Musa. "We responded and exchanged fire and we killed several of the militants."
Two security sources said at least 12 militants and one soldier were killed in the fighting.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which launched a campaign of violence against the oil sector in early 2006, dismissed the high casualty report.
"No MEND units or affiliated groups have reported such heavy losses," the militant group said in an e-mailed statement.
Militant attacks on Nigeria's oil facilities have become increasingly frequent, shutting down a fifth of oil production in the last two years.
The Niger Delta Vigilante, a militant group with links to MEND, threatened more violence in the area.
"We are by this notice asking all oil companies and foreigners to leave Port Harcourt because there is no going back," said the group's spokesman, who uses the pseudonym Tamunokuro Ebitari.
"We are bringing the fight to their door post and we will not spare anybody or companies," he added.
The militant group said on Monday that its "diving unit" had attacked a pipeline owned by state-oil firm NNPC that supplies natural gas to the Alakiri flow station.
Officials with Nigeria's Joint Task Force, NNPC and Shell could not confirm the attack.
Various armed groups operate under the franchise of MEND, which says it is fighting for greater control of the region's oil resources.
(Reuters)
Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, spokesman for the military task force in southern Rivers state, said militants ambushed two navy gunboats on patrol in Rivers state. The Shell-operated gas plant did not come under fire.
"This evening our men of the (Joint Task Force) came under attack around Alakiri on the Port Harcourt-Bonny sea route," said Musa. "We responded and exchanged fire and we killed several of the militants."
Two security sources said at least 12 militants and one soldier were killed in the fighting.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which launched a campaign of violence against the oil sector in early 2006, dismissed the high casualty report.
"No MEND units or affiliated groups have reported such heavy losses," the militant group said in an e-mailed statement.
Militant attacks on Nigeria's oil facilities have become increasingly frequent, shutting down a fifth of oil production in the last two years.
The Niger Delta Vigilante, a militant group with links to MEND, threatened more violence in the area.
"We are by this notice asking all oil companies and foreigners to leave Port Harcourt because there is no going back," said the group's spokesman, who uses the pseudonym Tamunokuro Ebitari.
"We are bringing the fight to their door post and we will not spare anybody or companies," he added.
The militant group said on Monday that its "diving unit" had attacked a pipeline owned by state-oil firm NNPC that supplies natural gas to the Alakiri flow station.
Officials with Nigeria's Joint Task Force, NNPC and Shell could not confirm the attack.
Various armed groups operate under the franchise of MEND, which says it is fighting for greater control of the region's oil resources.
(Reuters)
Friday, August 15, 2008
Share Gas or be Punished
Nigeria's government on Thursday threatened to impose stiff penalties against foreign oil companies that fail to provide a certain amount of natural gas to the domestic market by the end of the year.
President Umaru Yar'Adua, under increasing pressure to rehabilitate a shoddy power sector, indicated he will soon declare a power emergency that would oblige international oil companies to share more of their gas.
The power crisis is one of the biggest brakes on growth in Africa's most populous country.
"Once the emergency is declared in the power sector, there will be stiff sanctions if they fail to meet their obligations and all of this will be clearly spelled out as pre-conditions for continued operations in our country," Olusegun Adeniyi, the president's spokesman, told reporters.
Nigeria warned that it could penalise oil firms via their exports if they do not abide by their domestic requirements.
"We have told ... Shell, Chevron, Agip and all the gas-producing companies the amount of gas they must supply to us before they can even export the gas," said Gas Minister Emmanuel Odusina.
He declined to elaborate on the specific requirements imposed on the oil companies
Nigeria's power problem has become so severe that much of the country goes without mains electricity for weeks, plunging neighbourhoods without private generators into darkness every night and heightening frustration among its 140 million people.
This is despite Nigeria having the seventh-largest gas reserves in the world, estimated at about 180 trillion cubic feet.
Nigeria's generation capacity has plunged to less than 1,000 megawatts from 3,000 MW a year ago, largely due to a lack of maintenance at power stations. South Africa, with a third of Nigeria's population, has over 10 times that capacity.
(Reuters)
President Umaru Yar'Adua, under increasing pressure to rehabilitate a shoddy power sector, indicated he will soon declare a power emergency that would oblige international oil companies to share more of their gas.
The power crisis is one of the biggest brakes on growth in Africa's most populous country.
"Once the emergency is declared in the power sector, there will be stiff sanctions if they fail to meet their obligations and all of this will be clearly spelled out as pre-conditions for continued operations in our country," Olusegun Adeniyi, the president's spokesman, told reporters.
Nigeria warned that it could penalise oil firms via their exports if they do not abide by their domestic requirements.
"We have told ... Shell, Chevron, Agip and all the gas-producing companies the amount of gas they must supply to us before they can even export the gas," said Gas Minister Emmanuel Odusina.
He declined to elaborate on the specific requirements imposed on the oil companies
Nigeria's power problem has become so severe that much of the country goes without mains electricity for weeks, plunging neighbourhoods without private generators into darkness every night and heightening frustration among its 140 million people.
This is despite Nigeria having the seventh-largest gas reserves in the world, estimated at about 180 trillion cubic feet.
Nigeria's generation capacity has plunged to less than 1,000 megawatts from 3,000 MW a year ago, largely due to a lack of maintenance at power stations. South Africa, with a third of Nigeria's population, has over 10 times that capacity.
(Reuters)
Germans Rescued
Two German employees of a Nigerian construction company have been rescued and released by militant group MEND. It's the first time the group has gotten involved to help resolve a kidnapping.
According to the German foreign ministry, two German workers kidnapped in Nigeria over a month ago have now been released. In a statement issued Friday, Aug. 15, ministry spokesman Andreas Peschke said the two are receiving medical treatment and are doing well "considering the circumstances" and are in "good physical condition."
"The federal government is very relieved by their release," he added.
Employed by Julius Berger, a local affiliate of German construction company Bilfinger Berger, the two Germans were kidnapped on July 11 at Emohua in Rivers state in the Niger Delta, an area notorious for kidnappings. Around 15 unidentified gunmen travelling in armored jeeps accompanied by 28 soldiers seized the workers of the country's largest construction firm. The violent kidnappings prompted Julius Berger to suspend all of its operations in the delta. Despite the safe release of its workers, the company is sticking to its decision to pull out of the area, a spokesperson for the company told DPA news agency.
Act of kindness
Nigeria's most prominent militant group, The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) rescued the hostages from the armed gang on Thursday, reported Reuters news service. Itself responsible for numerous attacks on oil companies that have consequently cut a fifth of Nigeria's oil output since early 2006, MEND released the Germans near the oil hub Port Harcourt.
The group, which had announced about a week after the kidnappings that it had identified those responsible and would work to free the hostages, was reportedly motivated to intervene because the two Germans were not employed in the energy sector, but rather were helping to build the delta's infrastructure.
Big player in Nigeria
The company Julius Berger is currently rebuilding the main east-west road across the Niger Delta. With more than 16,000 employees, it is one of the country's biggest private sector employers.
According to Reuters, MEND's rescue operation that concluded with the safe release of the German workers was the first time it had intervened in an act of kidnapping committed by another gang.
Foreign companies weigh profits against inherent dangers
An alarmingly dangerous area for foreigners, more than 200 people have been kidnapped in the Niger Delta since early 2006. Such security problems have prompted numerous foreign firms to pull out of the area, reports AFP. Almost all of the people seized in the Niger Delta to this point, however, have been freed unharmed.
(DW)
According to the German foreign ministry, two German workers kidnapped in Nigeria over a month ago have now been released. In a statement issued Friday, Aug. 15, ministry spokesman Andreas Peschke said the two are receiving medical treatment and are doing well "considering the circumstances" and are in "good physical condition."
"The federal government is very relieved by their release," he added.
Employed by Julius Berger, a local affiliate of German construction company Bilfinger Berger, the two Germans were kidnapped on July 11 at Emohua in Rivers state in the Niger Delta, an area notorious for kidnappings. Around 15 unidentified gunmen travelling in armored jeeps accompanied by 28 soldiers seized the workers of the country's largest construction firm. The violent kidnappings prompted Julius Berger to suspend all of its operations in the delta. Despite the safe release of its workers, the company is sticking to its decision to pull out of the area, a spokesperson for the company told DPA news agency.
Act of kindness
Nigeria's most prominent militant group, The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) rescued the hostages from the armed gang on Thursday, reported Reuters news service. Itself responsible for numerous attacks on oil companies that have consequently cut a fifth of Nigeria's oil output since early 2006, MEND released the Germans near the oil hub Port Harcourt.
The group, which had announced about a week after the kidnappings that it had identified those responsible and would work to free the hostages, was reportedly motivated to intervene because the two Germans were not employed in the energy sector, but rather were helping to build the delta's infrastructure.
Big player in Nigeria
The company Julius Berger is currently rebuilding the main east-west road across the Niger Delta. With more than 16,000 employees, it is one of the country's biggest private sector employers.
According to Reuters, MEND's rescue operation that concluded with the safe release of the German workers was the first time it had intervened in an act of kidnapping committed by another gang.
Foreign companies weigh profits against inherent dangers
An alarmingly dangerous area for foreigners, more than 200 people have been kidnapped in the Niger Delta since early 2006. Such security problems have prompted numerous foreign firms to pull out of the area, reports AFP. Almost all of the people seized in the Niger Delta to this point, however, have been freed unharmed.
(DW)
No Progress in Pipeline Repair
Repairs to a damaged oil pipeline in Nigeria have been struggling to make significant progress, Royal Dutch Shell said on Friday.
Shell's Nembe Creek trunkline, located at Kula in Rivers state in the restive Niger Delta, was sabotaged in late-July.
The Anglo-Dutch oil major declared force majeure on Bonny Light crude exports to free itself from meeting its contractual obligations through to September.
"Repair work is not progressing as much as we want due to some security concerns. No real progress," a Shell spokesman said.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which has led a campaign of violence against the oil sector since early 2006, claimed responsibility for two pipeline attacks in July, including the Nembe Creek line.
Both pipelines are operated by Shell and are connected to the Bonny export terminal. Shell only confirmed the damage to the Nembe Creek line.
The spokesman said Bonny Light production has been unchanged at a low level but declined to specify the actual output volume.
Earlier, Shell said about 40,000 barrels per day of its equity production had been shut by the attacks. State run Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. (NNPC) said the total outage volume of Bonny Light was 175,000 bpd.
Bonny Light's normal production level is about 400,000 bpd, which should make it the largest stream from Nigeria.
Shell reiterated that the pipeline repair work has not been completed. Nigerian Oil Minister Odein Ajumogobia said earlier in August that all the pipelines damaged from the late-July attacks were fixed and some production had restarted.
Shell is the worst hit by militant sabotage in Nigeria. Repeated attacks to oil facilities have halted about a fifth of oil supplies from the world's eighth largest oil exporter, contributing to a rise in oil prices above $100 this year.
Shell's Nembe Creek trunkline, located at Kula in Rivers state in the restive Niger Delta, was sabotaged in late-July.
The Anglo-Dutch oil major declared force majeure on Bonny Light crude exports to free itself from meeting its contractual obligations through to September.
"Repair work is not progressing as much as we want due to some security concerns. No real progress," a Shell spokesman said.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which has led a campaign of violence against the oil sector since early 2006, claimed responsibility for two pipeline attacks in July, including the Nembe Creek line.
Both pipelines are operated by Shell and are connected to the Bonny export terminal. Shell only confirmed the damage to the Nembe Creek line.
The spokesman said Bonny Light production has been unchanged at a low level but declined to specify the actual output volume.
Earlier, Shell said about 40,000 barrels per day of its equity production had been shut by the attacks. State run Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. (NNPC) said the total outage volume of Bonny Light was 175,000 bpd.
Bonny Light's normal production level is about 400,000 bpd, which should make it the largest stream from Nigeria.
Shell reiterated that the pipeline repair work has not been completed. Nigerian Oil Minister Odein Ajumogobia said earlier in August that all the pipelines damaged from the late-July attacks were fixed and some production had restarted.
Shell is the worst hit by militant sabotage in Nigeria. Repeated attacks to oil facilities have halted about a fifth of oil supplies from the world's eighth largest oil exporter, contributing to a rise in oil prices above $100 this year.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Unrest in Cross Rivers State
Chief John Effiong flicks his arm out over the sweep of cleared forest in Cross Rivers State, Nigeria, which is gradually being turned into a building site.
His home, his pineapple grove and the shrine where he worshipped his ancestors' spirits have all been swept away by bulldozers.
They have been cleared to make way for people displaced by the handover of the Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon, due to be completed on Thursday.
"My farm was more than 20 acres. As of now the government has taken it, those people who think they are wiser than me. A hungry man is an angry man. I'm hungry," Chief Effiong says.
In one corner of the land three- or four-room bungalows are being built to house the people from Bakassi.
But the plan has left both residents and settlers unhappy, seeking government compensation for the upheaval.
The peninsula on the border between Nigeria and Cameroon has been disputed for decades.
In the 1980s Nigeria and Cameroon nearly went to war over the area, which is rich in oil and gas.
Cameroon asked the International Court of Justice in The Hague to decide who rightfully owned the peninsula, home to about 200,000 people.
In 2002 the court ruled that it belonged to Cameroon, and the Nigerian government under former President Olusegun Obasanjo agreed to hand it over.
In 2006 it gave the northern part of the island to Cameroon, and promised to hand over the rest in two years time.
The Nigerian government told the people of Bakassi that if they wanted to be resettled in Nigeria, they could.
'New Bakassi'
They gave 1bn naira ($8.5m, £4.3m) to the Cross Rivers State government to resettle them.
The state created a place they called "New Bakassi", carved out of an existing local government area.
But now thousands of people have come, expecting a cash handout for moving from their homes.
And the original inhabitants of New Bakassi are bitter they are being displaced too.
More than 3,000 people fled their area of Omoto, southern Bakassi, in June.
"The Cameroonians came and informed us we had to leave the land, that they wanted to use it," said Etim Okon Ene, leader of the Bakassi people in a camp for displaced people in New Bakassi.
Militants, thought to be from the oil-rich Niger Delta, had attacked Cameroonian police in Bakassi, and the police retaliated.
"At one in the morning we heard gunfire, then we saw gunboats going left and right," said Mr Okon Ene.
"They said all our women should go out, and they arrested some of our youth. We've experienced fights in Bakassi since 1995, so we fled into the bush."
They scrambled into boats and fled to the town of Ikang.
Transit camp
The state government put them up in an old primary school.
About 10 people died in their boats on the five-hour trip, Mr Okon Ene said.
Five others died from illnesses in the first few weeks of being in the primary school.
The group was then moved to a "transit camp" close to New Bakassi.
"They say there is a place called New Bakassi, we don't know," said Mr Okon Ene.
"They say they will provide the buildings for us, but can you contemplate how many thousands of people we are, how can they provide them?"
"We only hear what they say but we don't see it."
The transit camp is cramped and uncomfortable with more than 30 to a room.
Many have given up on the idea of compensation or resettlement and gone back to Bakassi.
Others are hoping the government will pay them to go away.
"I was doing business in Bakassi, all my property was in Bakassi, I am homeless now," said Ledo Lebani, whose family is originally from Port Harcourt, further along the coast.
"What we really want is to go back to Port Harcourt, for the government to pay us compensation, for what Obasanjo promised to come true."
Contractors disappeared
But the state government says the money has been spent building houses in New Bakassi.
Privately, local government officials admit there was no building going on until two months ago.
Less than 200 buildings have gone up.
Most of the contractors paid by the state government have disappeared without trace.
The village where New Bakassi is being built is tense.
When the BBC visited a teenager was hurt in an accident involving a contractor's truck.
The village youth burned the truck and beat the driver until he was unconscious.
Just down the road Chief Effiong of Obuntong sits drinking palm wine in a shack overlooking the land cleared by the contractors building the houses for the Bakassi displaced.
"I don't do anything now. I need money, I need a house," he says.
As a traditional ruler, it was at his shrine that he could be consulted on spiritual matters.
Angry, hurt and humiliated, he has dark warnings for the people who destroyed it, saying the spirits will avenge its removal.
"I will commit suicide, but before I do, they will all die, even if they are a million of them."
(BBC)
His home, his pineapple grove and the shrine where he worshipped his ancestors' spirits have all been swept away by bulldozers.
They have been cleared to make way for people displaced by the handover of the Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon, due to be completed on Thursday.
"My farm was more than 20 acres. As of now the government has taken it, those people who think they are wiser than me. A hungry man is an angry man. I'm hungry," Chief Effiong says.
In one corner of the land three- or four-room bungalows are being built to house the people from Bakassi.
But the plan has left both residents and settlers unhappy, seeking government compensation for the upheaval.
The peninsula on the border between Nigeria and Cameroon has been disputed for decades.
In the 1980s Nigeria and Cameroon nearly went to war over the area, which is rich in oil and gas.
Cameroon asked the International Court of Justice in The Hague to decide who rightfully owned the peninsula, home to about 200,000 people.
In 2002 the court ruled that it belonged to Cameroon, and the Nigerian government under former President Olusegun Obasanjo agreed to hand it over.
In 2006 it gave the northern part of the island to Cameroon, and promised to hand over the rest in two years time.
The Nigerian government told the people of Bakassi that if they wanted to be resettled in Nigeria, they could.
'New Bakassi'
They gave 1bn naira ($8.5m, £4.3m) to the Cross Rivers State government to resettle them.
The state created a place they called "New Bakassi", carved out of an existing local government area.
But now thousands of people have come, expecting a cash handout for moving from their homes.
And the original inhabitants of New Bakassi are bitter they are being displaced too.
More than 3,000 people fled their area of Omoto, southern Bakassi, in June.
"The Cameroonians came and informed us we had to leave the land, that they wanted to use it," said Etim Okon Ene, leader of the Bakassi people in a camp for displaced people in New Bakassi.
Militants, thought to be from the oil-rich Niger Delta, had attacked Cameroonian police in Bakassi, and the police retaliated.
"At one in the morning we heard gunfire, then we saw gunboats going left and right," said Mr Okon Ene.
"They said all our women should go out, and they arrested some of our youth. We've experienced fights in Bakassi since 1995, so we fled into the bush."
They scrambled into boats and fled to the town of Ikang.
Transit camp
The state government put them up in an old primary school.
About 10 people died in their boats on the five-hour trip, Mr Okon Ene said.
Five others died from illnesses in the first few weeks of being in the primary school.
The group was then moved to a "transit camp" close to New Bakassi.
"They say there is a place called New Bakassi, we don't know," said Mr Okon Ene.
"They say they will provide the buildings for us, but can you contemplate how many thousands of people we are, how can they provide them?"
"We only hear what they say but we don't see it."
The transit camp is cramped and uncomfortable with more than 30 to a room.
Many have given up on the idea of compensation or resettlement and gone back to Bakassi.
Others are hoping the government will pay them to go away.
"I was doing business in Bakassi, all my property was in Bakassi, I am homeless now," said Ledo Lebani, whose family is originally from Port Harcourt, further along the coast.
"What we really want is to go back to Port Harcourt, for the government to pay us compensation, for what Obasanjo promised to come true."
Contractors disappeared
But the state government says the money has been spent building houses in New Bakassi.
Privately, local government officials admit there was no building going on until two months ago.
Less than 200 buildings have gone up.
Most of the contractors paid by the state government have disappeared without trace.
The village where New Bakassi is being built is tense.
When the BBC visited a teenager was hurt in an accident involving a contractor's truck.
The village youth burned the truck and beat the driver until he was unconscious.
Just down the road Chief Effiong of Obuntong sits drinking palm wine in a shack overlooking the land cleared by the contractors building the houses for the Bakassi displaced.
"I don't do anything now. I need money, I need a house," he says.
As a traditional ruler, it was at his shrine that he could be consulted on spiritual matters.
Angry, hurt and humiliated, he has dark warnings for the people who destroyed it, saying the spirits will avenge its removal.
"I will commit suicide, but before I do, they will all die, even if they are a million of them."
(BBC)
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Navy Claims Plot Uncovered
The Nigerian Navy yesterday said it had uncovered a plot by a group of retired officers to destabilise the government from one of its barracks in Lagos. The naval authorities did not reveal details of the threat but said that the group, allegedly led by two retired naval officers in Lagos, had been going round some naval formations, particularly, the Nigerian Navy Town, Ojo, Lagos, to “poison” the minds of other naval personnel. This, it alleged, could lead to the breach of security in the country if not checked.
The Director of Information, Nigerian Navy, Navy Captain Henry Babalola, who made the allegation, told THISDAY that it was that singular act that made the naval authorities in Abuja to order the ejection of all retired officers from barracks at the weekend. Babalola stated that contrary to rumours making the rounds that the ejection of some retired officers from the barracks was borne out of witchhunt, “those affected were trying to destabilise the system by making statements that were detrimental to the unity of the country”.
The naval spokesman said the allegation that the ejection of the officers was based on witch hunt of the affected people was sheer misinformation and an attempt to whip up “unnecessary sentiments” in favour of the affected people. Babalola said that the naval authorities were constrained to effect the ejection of the affected officers because they (the retired officers) had failed to yield to many entreaties from Abuja that they should vacate their respective apartments after the expiration of the permitted period for them to stay in the barracks.
According to him, rather than obey the directive, the affected officers started to engage themselves in “discussions” that could course a “breach of peace” in the barracks. “The retired officers had spent 19 months in the barracks, and the rule says that they could only stay for three months after retirement since all their benefits and entitlements had been fully paid,” he said. Babalola stated that the affected officers “are no longer under any authority and as such are security risks to serving officers and personnel”.
The affected officers had been causing disaffections in the barracks among serving officers and rank and file with their utterances and behaviours, he said.Justifying the action of Naval Headquarters, Babalola said that there are several serving officers without accommodation in the barracks “because the Federal Government’s policy on sale of houses affected them”. He maintained that the allegation that the Naval Headquarters are out to witch hunt the affected officers who are still nursing misgivings over their retirements does not arise.
There were no court injunctions restraining the Nigerian Navy from ejecting them, he said.Babalola urged Nigerians not to be misled by the affected officers and their cohorts in believing that they were being unduly treated. Some senior naval officers had been retired after the Naval Headquarters reportedly discovered that they were involved in illegal bunkering on the nation’s waterways.
(This Day)
The Director of Information, Nigerian Navy, Navy Captain Henry Babalola, who made the allegation, told THISDAY that it was that singular act that made the naval authorities in Abuja to order the ejection of all retired officers from barracks at the weekend. Babalola stated that contrary to rumours making the rounds that the ejection of some retired officers from the barracks was borne out of witchhunt, “those affected were trying to destabilise the system by making statements that were detrimental to the unity of the country”.
The naval spokesman said the allegation that the ejection of the officers was based on witch hunt of the affected people was sheer misinformation and an attempt to whip up “unnecessary sentiments” in favour of the affected people. Babalola said that the naval authorities were constrained to effect the ejection of the affected officers because they (the retired officers) had failed to yield to many entreaties from Abuja that they should vacate their respective apartments after the expiration of the permitted period for them to stay in the barracks.
According to him, rather than obey the directive, the affected officers started to engage themselves in “discussions” that could course a “breach of peace” in the barracks. “The retired officers had spent 19 months in the barracks, and the rule says that they could only stay for three months after retirement since all their benefits and entitlements had been fully paid,” he said. Babalola stated that the affected officers “are no longer under any authority and as such are security risks to serving officers and personnel”.
The affected officers had been causing disaffections in the barracks among serving officers and rank and file with their utterances and behaviours, he said.Justifying the action of Naval Headquarters, Babalola said that there are several serving officers without accommodation in the barracks “because the Federal Government’s policy on sale of houses affected them”. He maintained that the allegation that the Naval Headquarters are out to witch hunt the affected officers who are still nursing misgivings over their retirements does not arise.
There were no court injunctions restraining the Nigerian Navy from ejecting them, he said.Babalola urged Nigerians not to be misled by the affected officers and their cohorts in believing that they were being unduly treated. Some senior naval officers had been retired after the Naval Headquarters reportedly discovered that they were involved in illegal bunkering on the nation’s waterways.
(This Day)
Militants Attack Gas Pipeline
A faction of Nigeria's most prominent militant group said on Monday it sabotaged a key natural gas pipeline in the restive Niger Delta, the latest in a series of attacks against Africa's biggest oil producer.
The Niger Delta Vigilante, an affiliate of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), said its "diving unit" attacked a pipeline owned by state-oil firm NNPC that supplies natural gas to the Alakiri flowstation in Rivers state.
"This particular one was chosen to demonstrate our might of going below sea level to sabotage oil facilities," said the group's spokesman Tamunokuro Ebitari.
"This is one of our plans to cripple the economic base of Rivers state."
Officials with Nigeria's Joint Task Force, NNPC and Royal Dutch Shell could not confirm the attack, which the militant group said occurred early Monday morning.
Various armed groups operate under the franchise of MEND, whose campaign of violent sabotage has cut the OPEC member's oil output by a fifth since early 2006.
The militant group said the damaged pipeline provided natural gas supplies to the Port Harcourt refinery, which produces gasoline, diesel and other crude products.
But an NNPC official said the Port Harcourt refinery is only processing crude oil from the delta, the heart of Nigeria's oil sector.
If the militant group's claims are true, the NNPC official said the pipeline was likely supplying natural gas to the nearby LNG plant on Bonny Island.
A spokeswoman for the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) company said she was not aware of any supply problems or pipeline disruptions to the plant.
(Reuters)
The Niger Delta Vigilante, an affiliate of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), said its "diving unit" attacked a pipeline owned by state-oil firm NNPC that supplies natural gas to the Alakiri flowstation in Rivers state.
"This particular one was chosen to demonstrate our might of going below sea level to sabotage oil facilities," said the group's spokesman Tamunokuro Ebitari.
"This is one of our plans to cripple the economic base of Rivers state."
Officials with Nigeria's Joint Task Force, NNPC and Royal Dutch Shell could not confirm the attack, which the militant group said occurred early Monday morning.
Various armed groups operate under the franchise of MEND, whose campaign of violent sabotage has cut the OPEC member's oil output by a fifth since early 2006.
The militant group said the damaged pipeline provided natural gas supplies to the Port Harcourt refinery, which produces gasoline, diesel and other crude products.
But an NNPC official said the Port Harcourt refinery is only processing crude oil from the delta, the heart of Nigeria's oil sector.
If the militant group's claims are true, the NNPC official said the pipeline was likely supplying natural gas to the nearby LNG plant on Bonny Island.
A spokeswoman for the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) company said she was not aware of any supply problems or pipeline disruptions to the plant.
(Reuters)
New Bird Flu Strain in Nigeria
A strain of highly pathogenic bird flu previously not recorded in sub-Saharan Africa has been detected in Nigeria, the UN food agency said Tuesday.
Laboratory results from Nigeria and a Food and Agriculture reference laboratory in Italy show that the newly discovered virus strain is genetically different from the strains that circulated in Nigeria in 2006 and 2007, the Rome-based agency said in a statement.
"The detection of a new avian influenza virus strain in Africa raises serious concerns as it remains unknown how this strain has been introduced to the continent," warned Scott Newman of the FAO's Animal Health Service.
The new strain is similar to ones previously identified in Italy, Afghanistan and Iran last year, the FAO said.
"It seems to be unlikely that wild birds have carried the strain to Africa, since ... this year's southerly migration into Africa has not really started yet," Newman said, suggesting "other channels for virus introduction (including) international trade ... or illegal and unreported movement of poultry.
He warned that this increased the risk of avian influenza spreading to other countries in western Africa.
Since the avian influenza epidemic caused by the H5N1 strain started five years ago in Asia, the disease has affected more than 60 countries, most of which have succeeded to eliminate the virus from poultry, the FAO said.
In Nigeria, the virus was first confirmed in February 2006 and infected poultry in 25 states before being contained, but the west African economic powerhouse has recently reported two new highly pathogenic bird flu outbreaks in the northern states of Katsina and Kano.
(AFP)
Sunday, August 10, 2008
What do you think?
I am contemplating posting new updates on this blog. What do you think? Should I start this blog again or not? You input will decide.
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