THE LAST COLUMNIST on Western Africa and Geopolitical Events

The People of Nigeria and the rest of Africa deserve a chance. They have the right to live on the land that they were born onto and prosper from the riches that are found on their land. Oil corporations that have the resources to drill for oil have the right to do so but not at the cost of Human dignity and life. You need large corporate organizational skills to operate international oil fields. But not at a Human cost for profit. That is called murder.
If foreign corporations are going to operate they must hire from the local population. If locals are not qualified then send them to school to train. Have your project managers from the home office but make 80% of your employee's locals. That raises the standard of living at least in the surrounding communities. I think the locals have the right to back royalty payments in the case of the Ogani People in Nigeria. Oganiland in Rivers State has been the site of many atrocities. There is a Kiisi Trust Fund set up to monitor the distribution of money from lawsuits settled out of court by Royal Dutch Shell; to quell courtroom disclosure in my opinion. This money was paid to settle accusations of Human Rights violations, not to pay people for the oil that is being stolen from them. They need to set up a Royalty Trust Fund for everybody. As I said, people have a right to live on their land and reap what it has to offer. If foreign leaders (Country or Corporate) decide that possessing another land's natural resources is more valuable then the lives of that land's native population, and act on it, we have an example of a Geopolitical Event.
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AFRICA REPORTS

Nigerians Escalated Their War for Oil Rights- Is Government Amnesty the Solution?

World News Commentary From THE LAST COLUMNIST
    Niger River Delta, Nigeria- The native population has been in a dispute with international corporations over oil rights since the 1960's. The People of Western Africa are stricken with the worst kind of poverty. It is a social engineered, orchestrated from a corporate Boardroom kind of Poverty. Desperate locals have taken up arms in record numbers to reclaim the land and natural resources stolen from them. They run patrol boats throughout the Delta Region to seize cargo for cash and kidnap oil workers for ransom. Wrong move on the kidnappings; cargo is one thing, although the oil companies finance much worse activities.

     The oil companies pump out 1.3 million barrels of crude oil everyday with pollution to match. They employ foreign workers and expatriates while leaving local villagers that should own the wells living in fear. Nigerian Government backed Para-military forces, financed by oil money, terrorize and displace entire villages. By financing corrupt administrations the oil money is used to terrorize all enemies that oppose their dubious oil production methods.

    The enemies are the innocent people of Nigeria, who deserve a share in the wealth since the land was stolen from them. No handouts here people, you can't handout something that is rightfully theirs in the first place. This is my opinion due to the fact that in the United States we believe in land ownership and this oil rich land was where they lived forever. The government changes hands but still keeps the same doctrine handed down by their master- the oil money that runs the show. Maybe 10% of oil revenue generated in the south actually comes back from the Capital. Locals turned 'militants' have become brazen with their claims to creeks and tributaries of the Niger River and the Delta region for one reason. They have nowhere else to go anymore.

     The President of Nigeria and his KLAN promised amnesty for the local militants fighting the corporations if they lay down their arms. Many of the militants are not locals but the cause rose up from the impoverished villagers that live in sub-Human conditions. They live in poverty while 80 million dollars is pumped out of their land everyday by the oil companies without recognition. The oil companies profit from permanently damaging the land with toxic waste. Fisheries and ecosystems are being destroyed at an alarming rate. The profits finance reprehensible Human Rights violations against the civilian population to protect oil interests. Amnesty talk is directed at the least offending party in my opinion.

Leftside photos from Chevwrong@photobucket.com

Delta Region: Local 'militants' on patrol.
Photo from MWanatanu@photobucket.com c/o A.P.

    How can people be expected to live under the horrific conditions imposed on them by the Puppet Government? The discovery of new oil fields mean one thing, acquire land. Time to torture civilians and burn entire villages to the ground while firing into the backs of the civilians as they try to get away. Whatever it takes to keep the oil flowing so the stockholders will be happy. There was an out of court settlement recently concerning the events leading to the death of a local human rights activist many years ago. Millions of dollars some oil company said they paid out from the kindness of their hearts. The money was really paid to stay out of an open courtroom.

    This settlement was in response to quell lawsuits that accused some of the Shell corporation's ex-employees of being involved in a Nigerian Government conspiracy. A conspiracy that led to the execution of writer and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa in the mid 1990's. Saro-Wiwa accused Shell Oil of causing widespread ecological destruction through its careless oil production practices in Africa; as well as massive Human Rights violations through their puppet governments, that must be instituted to remain dominant in Nigeria. The local subsidiary Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria was accused of conspiring with the Government to capture and execute many human rights activists in the past.

     All to keep the oil and money flowing away from the people that it belongs to my friends. Some people say who cares. Well, I do and I'm sick of watching Suits pass out money to get away with murder. There must be names and faces to answer for the Human Rights violations; past and present behavior included. Men like Ken Saro-Wiwa deserve more than a pile of blood soaked money in remembrance of their stolen lives. If you turn your head that makes you compliant.

Operator's disclaimer: THE LAST COLUMNIST promotes the exchange of knowledge, thought and concern for the current Human Condition. Many years ago I worked with a man named Phillip, an immigrant from Nigeria bouncing around blue collar jobs trying to find a place in America to use his Master's Degree. He used to tell me about the plight of the Nigerians and always said worldwide boycott of Shell, Standard Oil/BP and Chevron is the healthiest position to take. I was reminded of their plight when I read an article by John Isaacs in the magazine News Africa (7/31/2009). It is the source (article theme italicized) for evidence relating to my commentary. I have received conflicting reports coming out of Africa that the Amnesty is working. Why would anybody lay down their arms when their land and people are still being raped by foreign corporations with puppet governments? Don't believe the empty promises; they end with the last FREE gun owner, government amnesty leads to your enslavement.
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