Nation
Nigeria Mismanaged Asia Oil Deal – Reports
Nigeria has mismanaged relations with Asian oil firms thereby failing to capitalise on deals which could have helped it develop its infrastructure, and leaving $20 billion of investment at risk, think tank Chatham House said on Monday.
Former president Olusegun Obasanyo sought partners in China, India, South Korea and elsewhere to buy oil blocks before leaving office in 2007 in return for billions of dollars of infrastructure and downstream investment.
But neither has there been a single barrel of oil produced by Asian national oil companies in Nigeria, nor has any downstream commitment been started, leaving the Nigerian economy with no tangible benefit, the London-based organisation said.
“President Obasanjo’s stated grand design to achieve a ‘development dividend’ through the oil-for-infrastructure scheme with Asian national oil companies has fallen apart,” it said.
“With it went the impact that it might have made on the Nigerian landscape,” Chatham House said in a 60-page report.
Five decades of oil extraction in Africa’s most populous country has enriched a small elite, but the vast majority of he country’s estimated 140 million people still live on two dollars a day or less.
Chatham House blamed the lack of progress on political interference in what should have been purely business decisions.
“The scale of the corruption, mismanagement and non-execution of projects in the Obasanjo years has sent shock waves through Nigeria,” the report said.
“His intentions were good but officials failed to spell out the full implications of the scheme. And many used the scheme for private profit. It might have been a good idea on paper but the spirit was breached in the implementation.”
The administration of President Umaru Yar’Adua, who took office in May 2007, has been reviewing deals struck under Obasanjo, cancelling the sale of oil retineries and reviewing oil licensing rounds.
Yar’Adua in January revoked two oil exploration licences awarded to Korea National Oil Corp (KNOC), saying the Korean firm had failed to pay the investment pledged.
KNOC, which says it met its obligations, has taken the case to court and the outcome is being closely watched by an industry concerned that rights awarded by one Nigerian government can easily be overturned by the next.
Chatham House said, following the cancellation of a Korean gas pipeline project and a contract with China to build a railway from the commercial hub Lagos in the south to the city of Kano in the North, $20 billion of investment promised by Asian national oil companies in 2005/06 was at risk.
Chatham House contrasted the Nigerian experience with that of Angola, where it said President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos’ almost 30-year tenure had boistered a stable central government and helped create a functional national oil company, Sonangol.
That stability had helped Angola emerged as the second largest supplier of oil to China last year and helped the African country secure at least $13 billion in oil-backed loans from Beijing to help finance essential post-war reconstruction.
The Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) has called on the Management of Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC to embark on the water projects in Buguma city in Asari Toru Local Government Area, Rivers state
The Group called on the Rivers state government to revamp the Buguma fish farm to create employment for the teeming youths
On the water project in Buguma, MOSIEND said the population of Buguma has increased tremendously as the residents need more water projects to enhance the daily livelihood of the people
The Group also appealed to the Chairman of the council to assist in making the project a reality and attracts more developmental projects to the city
This call was on Rhythm 93.7 FM Port Harcourt, Radio program, Talk of the Town, by MOSIEND Eastern Zonal Coordinator of MOSIEND Half Hour Comrade Tammy Bruce Longjohn alongside Mark Ojuka,Chairman of Buguma and Hon Sandra Owunari JP Chairman Obuama and monitored by our correspondent
Comrade Ojuka also called on the Management of Liquidifed Natural Gas NLG to embark on a free medical outreach in all Kala bari communities to improve their health status
He appealed to LNG to award scholarship to indigens of Kalabari communities in tertiary institutions to better their education, noting the company is doing same in Bonny, abandoning Kalabari communities
“We need contracts, free medical, scholarships and employment including skill acquisition programs for our teeming youths in Kalabari extractions ”
On Security, Mark Ojuka said security in Buguma is at zero level with the help of the Ama Ma soldiers the city is more peaceful and investors friendly as the youths of area have cordial relationship with the security agencies in the area
“Security is very secured in Buguma clan”
He called on the Rivers state to revamp the Buguma fish farm to create employment for the teeming youths
“The youths are asking for human capacity building in the area to reduce unemployment”
“The revamping of the Buguma fish farm will also reduce youth violence”
Also Speaking, Eastern Zonal Coordinator of MOSIEND Half Hour Comrade Tammy Bruce Longjohn called for more improve in infrastructures in Kalabari community, especially in electricity
There is little improvement in terms of electricity in Buguma city
He decried the deplorable condition
of Buguma Health Centre, saying that the hospital is near functional
“Our sisters that are pregnant and our sick parents can not access the health centre for a better treatment ”
Describing the Health Centre as an eye saw, he called on Rivers state government and Buguma Local Government chairman Hon William to improve on facilities in the centre and make it more medically accessible to the sick persons in the area
Buguma, Tammy Bruce said is the spiritual headquarter of Kalabari people as such deserve more modern facilities from the government to improve lives
The Coordinator called on government, stakeholders and oil companies to assist and improve the poor infrastructural facilities in area
“We need first class hospitals, qualified medical doctors and nurses in the health centres and hospitals”
On the oil spilled in Obuoma Chairman MOSIEND Obuoma, Hon Sandra Owunari said the spill destroyed their crops and Rivers even polluted their only source of drinking water
She expressed displeasure that Rivers state government did not send any relief materials to the people in the affected community
On Chieftaincy title to women in Obuama, Hon Sandra Owunari said the community do not install Chieftaincy title to women, saying that Chieftaincy title is only reserved for men only in the community
CHINEDU WOSU
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