Talk:Niger Delta

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Re: This is equivalent to 40% of African natural gas consumption, and forms the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions on the planet. The environmental devastation associated with the industry and the lack of distribution of oil wealth have been the source and/or key aggravating factors of numerous environmental movements and inter-ethnic conflicts in the region, including recent guerilla activity by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta.

Too bad many people, including our (USA) government do not see this connection.

Current generation are so frustrated that it takes very little to persuade them that, may be, kidnapping is a way of getting even for the robbery and rape that has been taking place on their land.

President Ronald Reagan (actually my favorite) once talked about Trickle-down Economics as a way to empower corporation (or rich people - same thing). The idea is that such people will use the money to create jobs for the masses.

I don't know of any nation that has implemented Trickle-down Economics that actually "trickled". In so-called third-world countries, it's just a way for foreign corporations to bribe prominent citizens, so they can continue to steal that country's natural resources with ease or less friction.

It does not work.

Simple Solution:

All the oil companies that operate in Nigeria should get together and create a non-government organization, an NGO. This NGO will be funded by member companies. There is no shortage of money for this project. If half the money paid in bribes is devoted to this endeavor, there will be no problems today. Hire a US-based accounting firm to handle the funds.

This NGO will be headed by a non-Nigerian. By all accounts, this will be a relatively small organization. Staff members have following tasks:

Engage Niger-Delta indigenes in a dialog to determine what needs to be done. This will not be an effort to pacify. It will be to validate these people's existence. It will take great effort because at this point, many have lost all hope that all will be well.

Draw up a development plan. This is something the government should have been doing. But we all know it will not happen.

Rapidly implement this development plan. Again, the money is there, so this can be done. Train indigenes on how to properly setup group or private businesses and put them in a position to be able to bid for oil company projects. They will, then. be able to hire their own people to do the work. This is the real Trickle-down Economics.

Give low-interest loans to fishermen so they can afford modern fishing boats. Many now are lost at sea because they have to go farther out into the seas to fish with canoes that are ill-equipped to handle rough waters. They have to go that far out because their local waters are polluted by oil companies. It's really that simple.