Niger Delta deserves understanding

by David Ifode

Widespread corruption in the government rather than the vandalisation of oil pipelines is responsible for the economic problems afflicting the nation. Reminiscent of the military era, and its oppressive attitude to Niger Deltans, vandalisation of oil and gas pipe lines, is presently being blamed for the economic problems confronting Nigeria. However, it is an open knowledge that these problems are caused by the endemic corruption prevalent both in civilian and military governments.
Recently, frontline news from the government and the so-called elites has laid total blame of all Nigeria’s economic woes on vandalisation of oil pipelines. So far, reports have it that over $ 3.5 bn has been lost. It is ironical for this figure to emerge so soon, from a system that has hardly told us the cost of producing crude oil or investigated alleged under-quoting of the real value of crude exported.

The Central Bank of Nigeria said recently that the Federal Government ran a deficit budget of N 310 bn in 2002. This tells how bad the Nigerian economy is today. Unfortunately, when things are not going well in the country, it is the innocent people of the Niger-Delta who have been so deprived of benefiting from their God-given wealth that must carry the blame.
After the killing of Ken Saro Wiwa and others, the international magazine Economist in its December 2nd edition in 1995 spoke the minds of the suffering Niger Deltans from their own government and multinationals in a feature titled "Multinationals and their morals". According to the Economist "people find it hard to feel sorry for multinational corporations. Almost by definition they are rich, impersonal -- and too free, many say, from supervision by any government."

The article talked about the June 1995 plan by Shell to dump the Brent Spar oil platform depicted as a despoiler of the seas. It then went on to discuss headlines accusing Shell of propping up the Nigerian military junta then (Gen. Sani Abacha's government) that had just hanged nine activists from the Ogoni region after a questionable trial. In an awful coincidence, the hanging came just as Shell was planning a $ 3.6 bn natural gas project in the Niger Delta.
What Shell learnt from the Brent Spar affair said the Economist, was that public relations matter. The firm it said was probably right to say that disposal at sea was the cleanest and not the cheapest way of disposing of the Brent Spar. But it did little to explain its case, and was forced to buckle following a brilliant campaign by Greenpeace, a pressure group.

Relating the Brent Spar case to the hanging of the activists in Nigeria, The Economist said however, Shell was about to learn that public relations is not enough. Undeterred by the outcry that followed the hangings, the company went ahead with its natural gas project putting its public relations campaign into high gear. Shell was reported to have splashed out on advertisements arguments that the project would help ordinary Nigerians, creating jobs and cleaning the environment while giving no succour to then Nigerian venal rulers, because the revenue was not to flow for many years.
The magazine noted that though not an empty argument, it stressed a point. And that it was all very well for Shell to argue that it was going to improve the local environment, whereas, it was Shell that despoiled much of it in the first place.

The Economist said Shell was neither better nor worse than most multinationals in Nigeria. And that even if Shell quit Nigeria, would other companies not come swiftly to take its place? The Economist advised Nigerian government to perform its complex moral calculus; while the multinationals observe inter-national law, comply with international sanctions, avoid outright oppression of local people but behave otherwise as political neutrals, free to make business decisions on business criteria alone. Reminding Nigerians that for many multinationals, and especially oil and mining companies, politics is part of their daily business.
The magazine warned that failure of multinationals to play the good global citizen is increasingly expensive in a world where consumers and pressure groups can be quickly mobilized behind a cause. Wondering that as Nigeria's biggest producer of oil, which produces in turn 80 % of the government's revenues -- often embezzled, nearly always mis-spent -- it cannot pretend to have no political impact whatsoever.

If we go by the issues raised by the Economist, there will be no need to wonder why the Managing Director of Shell refused to honour an invitation by the last National Assembly. This also explains the reason why other Oil and Gas companies such as Chevron, Total, Elf, National and the oil and gas servicing companies have been indifferent to the plight of the Niger Delta indigenes. It has always been their belief that building a few classrooms, buying a few books (some outdated), enriching a few privileged are enough to appease the people.
Looking outside vandalisation, has the Federal Government really treated the Niger Delta people right? There are so many issues left unresolved -- the Abrogation Bill, real infrastructural development in the region (every water in Lagos is almost converted to land while the Ijaw and Itsekiri lands are disappearing), acute unemployment in the region or the environmental problems emanating from exploration?

Non-Niger-Deltans are the key policy makers in the oil industry whose interests and perspectives define their levels of assessment of the merits and demerits of the collective problems of the indigenes of the region. In Delta State for example, two federal ministers were appointed to serve in the Police and Defence -- both representing warring factions in Warri. One wonders why the coincidence.
I once wrote that the worsening plight of the people of the Niger Delta has often raised fundamental questions about why the people from the area should co-exist with the other parts of the country if their God given wealth is only meant to develop and enrich the others at their own expense. Recent events only point to the fact that the riots of anger and despair in the Niger Delta are now sending shock waves to those in the government to act now. If the government does not act now, the people in this area may collectively confront it desperately and directly someday.

No sane person would go near petrol pipes to search for source of survival unless driven by acute hunger. Bunkering is not a cheap business to invest in. Who are those behind it?
Niger Deltans deserve understanding. Let the government direct its energy to the real causes of the people's rebellion.