The Niger Delta

Apologies.......... Pulling the plug

2009-07-23T16:07:00.004Z

Hi everyone,
I know it's been three years since I last updated this blog. I am sorry for the long absence.

Thing is, by December of '06, when the blog was about 4 months old, I got a job that took me away from the N. Delta.

The job thingy got me so involved that my social life took a sorry dive.

So, with tears, joy and gratitude, I am pulling the plug on this blog.

This is because my present location and job is so demanding that I don't have time to update stuff about the ND.

My appreciation goes to all of you especially those who sent mails and left comments.

I guess we will see at the top one day.

good bye.

Emeka.

Port Harcourt Vs Warri

2006-10-10T16:53:00.000Z

I have been living in Port Harcourt (PH) for a very long time but recently, I moved to Warri. Before coming, I had heard the usual stories about Warri; violence, crime…..

However, on getting here, I realized that it doesn’t entirely seem that way. I am forced to compare both towns and this is my observation.

Port Harcourt:
- Good Road Network – in my observation, PH has good road network connecting streets and highways more than Warri.

- Companies and Jobs – because of past crises, most companies left their Warri offices for PH and as a result, PH has more companies and better job opportunities for graduates than Warri.R>-  Social Amenities – PH has much more social infrastructure such as health care facilities, radio and television station, schools, hotels, water system etc more than Warri.

- Groovy Joints – if you are a party going person, you will find PH much more interesting than Warri, there are more joints and night clubs in PH than in Warri town.

Warri:
On the other hand, I think Warri is better than PH in these ways:
- Wider Roads: both PH and Warri share the plight of bad raods and lack of drainage systems but in comparism, the roads in Warri are wider unlike in PH where most roads are so narrow leaving no room for pedestrian passage.

- Violence: – this might surprise you but Warri is quite less violent than PH. It is generally believed that in Warri, thieves will occasionally harass you and steal your handset but I tell you, you are 3-4 times more likely to experience that in PH than in Warri.

- Cost: – it is important to add here that cost of living is much cheaper in Warri than in PH and as such, it serves better for job seekers and those just starting life.

- Electricity: – I only have a pragmatic bases of comparing the electricity supply in these towns and in my experience, thought electricity lights in Warri is rationalized, there is a better chance of having light in a day than in PH.

Warri, like PH is diverse in tribes and tongue but the major tribe in Warri, the Urhobos, are far more hospitable than the major tribe in PH, the Ikweres. Non indegens who live in the Diobu area of PH will know what I mean.

My Visit To Warri

2006-10-10T16:41:00.000Z

You may have been wandering why I haven’t updated my blog for some time.

Well, I left town on official assignment to Warri and you know what, Warri is such a cool town somehow lively and really filled with interesting people.

The major tribe here – Urhobo – are very hospitable and they are really beautiful.

They are really trying to make a decent life out of an oil-induced violent riddled town.

There is this joke told about Warri;

Once, president Obasanjo was taking the American president, Bush, on an aerial
tour of Nigeria, somewhere along the line, the plane mechanism started
malfunctioning and the compass could no longer locate their present location,
worse still, the air conditioner in the plane stopped working.
In his
frustration, Bush took his arm outside the plane window to get a touch of fresh
air and by the time he brought them inside again, his wrist watch had been
stolen!On seeing this, Obasanjo said
“yes, now I know, we Are flying over".
Warri”.

My Birthday Brake

2006-09-19T16:08:00.000Z

Today is my birthday and I am supposed to celebrate but the demands of office and domestic work didn't leave me with much room.

Lots of things to do, plans to make and things to think about...

I even thought about how my parents felt when I was born years back. Its a nice thing to celebrate and I have made plans to throw a small party.

You all are invited.

For those who can't make it let me leave you with this short story;

In a religious class the teacher finished her lesson and asked for questions,

"I've got one"said a boy,

"According to the Bible, the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea, right?"

"that's right" said the teacher.

"And the children of Israel defeated the Philistines and the Egyptians, built the Temple and did so many important things?".

"All of that is correct", agreed the teacher "so what's your question"

"Well" demanded the boy,

"What were the grownups doing?"

Why Change Youself?

2006-09-19T16:03:00.000Z

There are four kinds of people in this world;

Those who...

Talk much and do little
Talk much and do much
Talk little and do little
Talk little and do much.

You are in one group by nature, there are very little you can do to change it.

I have read lots of books that talks about the importance and supremacy of the second group, and ways to change your lifestyle to be what they feel is best for you.

But, I tell you, human behavior is too complex to be represented in a one-cap-fits-all mathematical model.

A lot of people have spent their lifetime trying to change the way they behave in order to be like their role models without success.

Why work so hard to fit in when you have all it takes to stand out.

Take a look at yourself, your inner strehnghts and weaknesses. they are lots of things you can achieve by being your self.

The impportant thing is what you do with who you are and not who you are.

Today, step out and take the challenge, be yourself and love yourself. If you don't, who will?

The Pope's Comments, Islam and Nigeria

2006-09-19T15:57:00.000Z

After reading the story of violence following the pope's speech on this blog I decided to write my reactions and questions here.

The main reaction I have is that of fear!

Fear for my friends leaving in northern Nigeria because I know that in situations like this, whenever there is turmoil related to religion, it boils down violently to Nigeria.

History will prove my point;

In February 2000, at the time of the introduction of the Sharia system of legislature in some northern states in Nigeria, the violence that erupted claimed hundreds of lives.

Similar incidents was recorded at intervals in subsequent years especially in April, 2003 during/after the Iraq war.

The worst of them was in February this year, at the height of the cartoon controversy about the prophet Mohammad published by a Danish newspaper. Some Islamic militias felt that the best way to correct such cartoons was to kill innocent Nigerians.

I couldn't,t believe it...

Most, if not all, of the those who died in the crises may not even have seen the cartoon, not to mention knowing the person who published it.

Sadly enough, this incident and its retaliation in the eastern part of Nigeria lead to the greatest number of civilian death after the civil war.

Today, the Muslim world is angry again.....

already people have been killed in Mogadishu,

Bombs in churches in the West Bank...

my fear is that it may trickle down to Nigeria.

And, my question is Why?

what have the victims done to deserve been brutally murdered like this.

The pope made a statement quoting a comment that has been there for hundreds of years, in an isolated discussion, I don't think its anything new.

He has also apologised to Muslims, why kill somebody because of that?

From their daily TV shows and discussion Muslims have been trying to convince the world that Islam means peace and unity.

But, it seems to me that some of them are trying to confirm the quotation the pope made.

This is wrong. Religion should not cause violence, let us learn to uphold the sacrosanct nature of the human life.

A CRY FOR DAFUR

2006-09-18T15:50:00.000Z

Demonstration around the world yesterday for the forgotten war in the Dafur region of Sudan prompted my writing this post.

I had already lost hope.

How can the world be so uncaring?
We’ve been so occupied with whatever we are doing that when occasionally, the issue of Dafur is raised, people just say “oh no” and go back to have their launch.

Every day, hundreds of innocents are murdered and raped because the world leaders have been far too slow in bringing truce;
With the African Union scuffling between starched military facilities and elongation of stay, the United Nations (UN) had been busy debating between sanctions and diplomacy on Iran and North Korea, to stop nuclear proliferation. A move which, in my opinion, is good to “protect innocent civilians” (a term all too familiar with the UN) they had failed to realize that it takes much less than a nuclear war head to kill a person or to commit genocide.

On the other hand, the developed economies have been paying a little more than lip service to the situation;
While the US congress and the European Parliament have come up with befitting nomenclatures such as “Genocide” and “Tantamount to genocide”, China and Russia has advocated caution while having a good time trading on arms and oil with the Sudanese government including the recent sale of over a dozen MiG-29s – one of the most advanced jet fighters in the Russian arsenal – to Khartoum.

And where are the Muslims?
Those who clam atrocities against Muslims, where are they?

Recent quotation of a medieval anti-Islamic comment by Pope Benedict XIV sparked untold demonstration across the Muslim world but I am yet to see/hear a Muslim reaction against the Janjaweed Arab militia commiting atrocities against black Muslims in Dafur.

Around the world, leaders sit and watch, only occasionally “pleading” with the Sudanese government to allow UN peace keepers, the situation on ground is getting worse; killings, raping, and all such stuff.

Widows and widowers made on daily bases,
Genocide before our very eyes.
Another Rwanda in the making.
we were 6 billion in the world....Now, we are 200,000 less, courtesy of Dafur.

Solution
I think world leaders should be more proactive and sincere.
China and Russian are in a better position to prevail on the Khartoum government to stop this madness.

Also, if Muslims really want to convince me that Islam stands for peace, they should start from Dafur.

MEME: Why September 11 terror attacks may not happen in Nigeria

2006-09-15T10:12:00.000Z

Hello and welcome to my first meme.
I am a new Nigerian blogger and this meme is meant to introduce me to the Nigerian blogging community as well as increase our blogs interlinks.

This Meme is for Nigerian bloggers to write about 9/11 and terrorism and its posibility of occurance in Nigeria.

Thinking about the 9/11 attacks 5 years ago in the US, and the events leading to it, I kept wondering if it could have been prevented, or, at least, minimized.
Since I don’t live in the US, I might as well wonder till eternity. But bringing it home, could such an incident happen, the way it did, in Nigeria? (I mean, even if Nigeria provoked General Osama bin Laden the way he alleged America did)

Considering the relatively poor security system, absence of security and monitoring technology, internal turbulence – linked, sometimes, to religion and the fact that Sheik Osama bin Laden once mentioned Nigeria in his broadcast, one might just say “yes”.

But they are some friends I asked that gave me shocking reasons to think it might not happen that way in Nigeria. Their reasons are presented here, and I look forward to hearing yours:

Ramzi Yousef:

Eight years before the 9/11 attacks, the World Trade Centre (WTC) was bombed. Its master minder – Ramzi Yousef - fled and was arrested two years later in Islamabad, Pakistan in the company of his uncle, Khalid Sheik Mohammed, (KSM) who would later become the architect of the 9/11 terrorism. At then, security operatives did not arrest KSM because…there weren’t any evidence against him.

But, in Nigeria, the last thing the police need to arrest you is evidence. That you are related to the friend of an uncle to a criminal is enough to get you behind bars.

Ali Mohammed:

The double-faced agent, so central and instrumental to the sophistication of Al-Qaeda was even more audacious in talking about his rendezvous with the group, but he wasn’t arrested until much later when the evidence piled up.

Again in Nigeria, if the police get to know you are privy to information leading to a fugitive, forget it, evidence or no evidence, you will be stoned behind bars.

Also, When Ali Mohammed was arrested in a hotel room in California before the attacks, he was allowed to use the bathroom where he, as he latter confessed, destroyed evidence linking him to Al Qaeda.

But in Nigeria;

you will be very lucky to have a bathroom near where you were arrested and
you must be a king to be allowed to use it.

Sheikh Omar Abdulrahman (The blind Sheik):

The FBI couldn’t make up their mind to arrest the Blind sheik despite links to terror plotters and illegal immigration. He was the person who allegedly gave Osama bin Laden the Fatwa to kill Americans.
In Nigeria, you may not be in trouble when you threaten to kill Nigerians but if you find yourself going against the powers that be, even people in your village are not save.

In conclusion The American policy for human rights and justice is good and the absence of this in Nigeria is what I am trying to decry here.
However, sometimes what is right is not always appropriate and may leave room for lots of regret.

That's it folks, my view on terrorism in Naija.

Another reason someone mentioned to me was that they may not see any skyscrapper to strike.

But that's our opinion, what's your?

I have browsed a number of Nigerian blogs inviting bloggers to join in this meme. I am also willing to write on any topic if anyone should invite me.

You don’t even need to leave a comment here, thought I will ask you to, just write the post on your blog and link to this, every one will see it and read your view.

Thanks, hope to hear from you soon.

A New Way to Make Money in Nigera

2006-09-12T13:35:00.000Z

Do you remember the last time you mourned for the dead or for anything or anyone that weighs you down? It maybe that you lost a loved one or that your lover called it quit.

You definitely will know how it hurts and how uncontrollably you sobbed and wanted the tears to keep flowing, but you surely did not know that that simply natural act of mourning could earn you a living.

How?
Read this story from Bayelsa state in the Nigeria Niger Delta…

In a small village in south-eastern Bayelsa state a man who was very infamous died.

In his lifetime, he wasn’t loved by his village people, he did a lot of things that made then hate him; selling people’s lands, arresting people indiscriminately… those things that could and did earned him a chapter in the black book of his villagers.

Of course he could afford to alienate himself, he had money, his sons were into politics and he had proximity to the authorities.

His sons were showing signs of taking from the old man and so, when he died, the villagers saw it as pay back time.

In Nigeria (and Africa generally) you must be a good man if a lot of people show up for your funeral, and this can be used for political reasons.

The villagers didn’t want to mourn the dead man to pay him back and to dent the political image of his sons in the presence of their colleagues in politics.

But the boys had a solution;
They went to the streets of the state capital, Yenagoa, and hired mourners for their dad!

The mourners came in buses before the political figures arrived and stationed themselves along the village road, as the convoy of dignitaries came into the village with the corpse, the mourning and wailing could be heard kilometers away.

It was as if they just lost a major battle.

The hired mourners mourned and wailed falling to the muddy earth alongside the ambulance and some even wanted to jump into the grave and be buried with him.

“How could such a person die” they were shouting, “Why don’t I die in his stead” some were saying.

The villagers could not believe it; all their plans failed. To them the man may not have been mourned, but to the politicians, he was a good man in his community, and that’s what mattered to the dead man’s sons - and the dead man.

So, the next time you cry, save some tears, it might yield money for you.

Niger Delta Tourist Attraction

2006-09-11T12:11:00.000Z

The Niger Delta area of Nigeria is widely known for oil and gas exploration, but do you know it is one of the most beautiful tourist attractions in sub-Saharan Africa?

Sometimes its amazing how nature, in addition to endowing a place with sources of energy, makes the place good for escape and relax way from the demanding work of the day.

Tourist sites in the Niger Delta cannot be covered in just one post, so, in a series of posts, starting with this, I will provide you with reasons to visit the delta and a glimpse of the places you will never forget after you might have visited.
We start at the border with Cameroon -

Cross River State:
A very diverse state made up of a number of languages and dialects. In addition to diverse language and people, it also has bio and ecological diversity as well; from the pre-Cambrian rocks of the Oban Massif to the cretaceous and recent sands of Obanliku, the state is a place of tremendous natural beauty and the hub of Nigerian tourism.

People:
The major languages in Cross River state include Efik, Boki, Ugep, Bekwara and a host of dialect.

Speaking about their migration, the Obong (traditional Ruler) of Calabar once said they migrated to the region around the tenth century. Sitting in his centuries-old throne in his full regalia, he himself is a tourist attraction, and so is the smiling faces of his people beckoning on you to come have a good time.

The Obong is seen here recieving a guest.

Calabar:
The capital of Cross River state is a place where life is mearnt to be enjoyed. With its good roads, beautiful streets, historic monuments, high class presitgeous hotels, beautiful gardens with lush green vegetation many still wonder why this port city and former capital of Nigeria still remains as calm, neat and quite as is unlikely of a Nigerian city.

Cross River National Park:
Are you a wild life Freak or are you just interested in seeing wild animals in their undaunted natural homes, then you need to visit the National Park in Cross River state.

Situated in the dense tropical forest between Nigeria and Cameroon the park is home to over 200 species of animals most of which are endemic to Africa.

Obudu Cattle Ranch:
Folks, this is the big one!!!

It is one of the most exciting places you will visit in your life time, it's..........
Opps, seems I am writing a newspaper doesn't it? All right, see you next time but this is a picture of what it feels like...

For more please visit the Cross River website

Overcoming the Blogging Hurdles in Nigeria

2006-09-08T12:43:00.000Z

I started blogging last month but prior to that, I never heard the word ' blog' on Nigerian streets. I was suprised to see lots of Nigerian blogs on the blogosphere an indication that Nigerians are catching the blog fever, however, they are indications that it might take some time before blogging become widespread in Nigeria.

I also realized that most Nigerian bloogers don't reside in Nigeria and most of those who do, live in Lagos. Lagos has always been the hub of global inculturation in Nigeria and I think I am one of the few Nigerian bloggers living outside Lagos.

But there is more to Nigeria than Lagos and there are lots of things Nigerians should blog about. There is also need to educate Nigerians about the blogosphere and to encourage Nigerians to use blogging as a means of self expression.

Some of the benefits of blogging to Nigeria are:

National Unity: Tribalism and ethnic differences has been a reason for some disparity in the Nigerian polity, blogging will help the educated population to share their view and educate their respective wards.
Economic Independence: With the advanced money making medium in the blogosaphere today, they are lots of room for people to make money and become financially liberated through blogging. I am yet to see a very succesful Nigerian blogger, but I will never underestimate the innovative ability of my country men.
Cultural Exposure and Awareness: I hear there are about 252 tribes in Nigeria, I don't even know anything about lots of them, someone's got to blog about them sometime.
Blogging will, in addition to these, lead to creativity, improved reading culture, abolition of taboos and political and social change.

I have also identified some factors that impedes blogging to grow in Nigeria, these factors even encourage some bloggers to discontinue blogging - Heck, there are some Nigerian blogs I saw that were last updated months ago - Some of these factors are:

Financial Attraction: Ofcourse, blogging doesn't seem to be more lucrative than 419 or the Nigerian yahoo scams.
Scarce and Slow internet connection.
Poor computer education and availability.
Infrastructure; Basically electricity (NEPA)
EFCC: This is worth explaining, I once went to a cyber cafe outside town to update my blog only to be rounded up by the EFCC, God only knows what I went through.

Each of these is a potential show stopper, but the fact that we still have lots of bloggers of Nigerian origin is an indication that Nigerians are scalling the hurdles. one sure way of getting accross is by collaboration, Nigerian bloggers should be united and have a network of inter links.

As a Nigerian blogger, please write about the difficulties you are facing and the future you see in blogging in Nigeria. Leave it as a comment to this post or on your blog but leave a link to this post about it.

I have posted a number of comments in Nigerian blogs I happen to see, with my email so I can be reached. If I didn't see yours, I am sorry, please leave a comment here linking me to your site, I sure will reach you.

Nigerian Job Scam

2006-09-04T16:18:00.000Z

This whole scam thing is making my blog one-dimensional, but, I will continue because its overall effect is negative to Nigerians.

This post is a demonstration of another means adopted by some of these scammer;

Guiness Nigerian Limited, one of the leading breweries in the country, recently published a job vacancy calling for interested applicants to come for an interview. However, for some reasons, the interview was postponed indefinitely.

Trust scammers to see an oppurtunity in every thing, they immediately sent out e-mails to most of those who applied for the job claiming to be the Guiness Talent Team and asking for money to facilitate quick processing of their applications.
Here is an example of the mails they sent out:

: guinness_nigeria_employment_test plc
Sent: 8/2006 1:24 PM
Subject: Guinness nigeria employment test

Hello,
Due to the large number of applicant we have,you have been selected by our team for a special employment test,we are to open a record file for you immediately.So we have asked all the selected applicants to send a 750 MTN recharge card* to us, through this mail, so that we can process your text and subsequent inverview dates, from the files we will open for each applicants.
Once we get the 750 MTN recharge card a comfirmation letter will be sent to you .
All cards must get to us 3 weeks from the day you get this mail.

Talent Team Guinness Nigeria

Ofcourse in a country like Nigeria where lots of people are looking for job, some persons fell for the trick and sent money to them, but some wise ones contacted Guiness who immediately sent out mails refuting the scam.
This is a copy of what Guiness sent out:

Dear Candidate,

Please disregard any emails(such as the one displayed below ) purportedly sent by our Talent Team demanding for recharge cards or payment in any form.

Be rest assured that Guinness Nigeria is a socially responsible company and is committed to offering highly talented candidates equal opportunities.

Please note that our address for the Graduate Management Trainee Recruitment remains gmt.gnplc@diageo.com

Finally, We will contact you as soon as a new date is decided for therescheduled test.

Yours Sincerely

Talent Team Guinness Nigeria Plc.

What a cat and mouse game it is with these scammers.

But its a game we all can win. Please send in your comments on this post and my other similar posts, also let me know about your experience with scammers, I will maintain your privacy. Maybe someone will be spared from your story.

*RECHARGE CARD: See my post on How to scam the scammer

Scam the Scammer

2006-08-31T14:10:00.000Z

This is a continuation of my post; Nigerian Scam; How it is done, where I tried to explain some of the tricks adopted by some scammers in Nigeria.

Another thing you need to know is that scammers also do business as you do it.
For example, if they send you a mail or give you a call about a business that will involve money from both of you, they will be ready to give their initial (yet small) contribution as soon as they are convinced that you have fallen for their proposals. They may not be in a hurry to wire money to you but they will do all that may be required to facilitate your sending you part.

It is interesting to know that this attribute of the scammer is their Achilles Heel!
Some people have manipulated this weakness to discourage scammers from perturbing them again.

This story is a good example:
Osy is a friend of mine whose sister lives in the UK. On one occassion, he called his sister for some goodies. Unknown to Osy, some scammers were listening and heard him made the call, so the next day, he got a call from someone who claimed to have just arrived from the UK with a package from his sister. The caller, (lets call him Scammor) then said he arrived in Lagos and had gone to his village to see his grandparents-which was, as he said, his purpose of coming home.

Scammor then said he never knew they was no bank in his village and he didn't have enough cash with him to send the package via courier services, he then requested Osy to send him Recharge Cards* worth about 5000 Naira so he could send the package to him.
But my friend was not to be fooled; he told scammor that he was in school and had very little cash with him but he could call his mother, she surely would send some money for the courier services. He then requested that scammor send him 1000 Naira Recharge Card* so he could call his mum and pass the information.
Scammor did.....

Case closed.

In situations like this, if you confirm that someone is a scam, fight back. Make them know that you are not a fool.(see what uncommon man did in his situation).

But, CONFIRM!! don't go screaming at a legit associate.

My friend, Osy, sent one last THANK YOU to scammor for helping him recharge his phone.

You can be sure that Scammor, or anyone from his camp, will not bother Osy again.

* RECHARGE CARD: Mobile phone air time cards are sometimes used for monetary transactions in Nigeria. It is sold to public phone operators for the money equivalent.

World of India

Fraud-Portal

Nigerian Scam No1

Nigerian Bank Scam!!!

2006-08-28T16:38:00.000Z

I probably would not have written this if it did not happen last week, In writing about Nigerian Scam, I always thought I could neglect the common ones and concentrate on the sophisticated ones, I never believe some people will still fall for the oldest trick in the scam books. True, they say old tricks don't get outdated, but, this was unbelievable.

Some miscreants sent mails and made calls to some unsuspecting persons abroad that they just inherted millions of US dollars from their deceased uncle who was a politician but because they are mere students they could not withdraw the money - because they could not afford to have it and they don't want the government to probe the assets of their late uncle - so they are looking for businessmen abroad who will partner with them in a phoney business and they will register with the Nigerian Business Promotion Agency, and with time, they will withdraw the money and own it and the government will not raise eye brows.

They also promised to share the loot in a specified percentage and because they were poor students, the foriegn businessmen were supposed to finance and sponsor the phoney business' registration and start-up - That money was what they were looking for.

It was to prevent such an incident that a Nigerian Bank, Intercontinental Bank, published a post on their website warning foriegners to avoid such scam. This is a copy of what they posted:

We wish to alert the general public that some fraudsters claiming to be Directors or staff of Intercontinental Bank Plc have recently been sending phony e-mails/letters or calling unsuspecting persons, with intent to defraud them. It is important to note that these fraudsters are criminals engaged in “Advanced Fee Fraud” known in Nigeria as “419”. Typically, the fraudsters solicit assistance to remit bogus dollar deposits, in the form of large inheritances from deceased persons, large contract sums due for payments or large lotto winnings, from the bank into foreign accounts of their victims who they usually promise to share the proceeds of the scam with. Please be advised that there is absolutely no relationship between Intercontinental Bank Plc and the fraudsters claiming to be officials of the bank. The bank therefore disassociates itself from all correspondences and transactions so fraudulently contrived. Kindly discard all such fraudulent mails or calls. For more inquiries, call Corporate Affairs on 234-1-2773300, 2622930 or reach us at corporateaffairs@intercontinentalbankplc.com.

As you may have guessed, victims of this scam were trying to do illegal business and double-cross the Nigerian government, however, that is no excuse, it is in our overall interest that people don't get scammed by Nigerians and don't become discouraged from doing legitimate business with authentic Nigerians. (See my post on Nigerian Scam)

Please help us fight this crime; get in touch with appropriate authorities in Nigeria before doing business, send this post to a friend, send me a mail, let me know how you were defrauded, I will maintain your privacy.

Nigerian Government Revokes Oil Blocks, Prepares for Bidding Rounds

2006-08-28T16:14:00.000Z

Some Multinational Oil companies operating in NIgeria have lost some of their oil blocks adjudged by the Nigerian government as not being put into use. These companies include; Chevron Nigeria Ltd and Mobil Producing Nigerian Ltd.
The federal government of Nigeria also plans to extend the mearsures to other companies that have left their oil leases dormant.
These recovered acreage will make up the basket of oil blocks for offer in the 2006 bid rounds due to commence in September.
In the Niger Delta alone, over 40 oil blocks will be put on offer in the bidding rounds.

However, the Nigerian minister of state for Petroleum, Dr. Edmond Daukoru, explained that the takeover of the leases was in a bid to maintain regular bidding rounds and that the government discuussed with the Multinational companies before the takeover.

CHINA AND NIGERIA

2006-08-28T15:34:00.000Z

In a bid to strengthen trade ties, the Chinese government has offered a soft loan of US $1 billion to the Nigerian government to expand and rehabilitate its railway system.
The US $1 billion loan from the Chinese government will mark the second involvement of China in the Nigerian railway system, it had been involved in US $ 300 Million project under the late Sani Abacha.

The project which is expected to cost about US$2.5billion has been described by the Nigerian Transport minister, Abiye Sekibo as the largest single investment by any single government in Africa. The first phase of the project will run from Lagos to Kano via Ibadan, Minna, Abuja and Kaduna.

In recent times, china, the world’s second largest oil consumer, has increased ties with some oil producing nations in a bid to diversify crude oil source.

Nigerian Music Personality; Ebiere

2006-08-28T11:25:00.000Z

There is no better personality to introduce the Arts section of my blog than the upcoming sensation - Ebiere Ogochukwu, (fondly called Ebiere) the angelic voice and face of the Niger Delta people.

Daughter of a Deacon Pastor, Ebiere grew up to discover her talents at an early age - unlike crooks on the street.
She started singing at the age of six with the children choir and by age nine, she had become a lead singer in her local church choir. She was later to become the choir director for about three years.

As a student of Theater Arts in the University of Port Harcourt, Ebiere won the Best Singer Award for three consecutive years.
In Nigeria today, she is well known for her first album Why me which made waves on its release last year.
She had also been involved in albums with the Award winning Asu Ekiye, Double Edge and U-Jeff, all top stars in Nigerian music.

At the First African Christian music Awards this year, Ebiere was voted the best female vocalist

The Bayelsa state native says she loves praying and making people happy, which explains why her songs are mostly religious and inspirational. She also said she loves being involved in the development and progress of people around her at all level.
There is no doubt this upcoming artist have taken Niger Deltan and Nigerian music to the next level.

Ebiere’s profile was gotten from an interview with the Guardian Life Magazine.

Nigeria Exit From Bakassi, Right or Wrong?

2006-08-28T10:23:00.000Z

Have you ever been given an ultimatum to vacate your house or choose another parent? No, I guess. But if you were, what would you do?

Indigenes of the Bakassi peninsula were told something like that in 2002 by the International Court of Justice when it conceded Bakassi to Cameroon,

so, what did they do?
Poor them, what can they do. The court ruling triggered a lot of agitation in Nigeria.
Indigenes could not believe it, how can they leave the country of their birth their land, lives, relations and everything?

Compare this to asking the people in Miami to leave the United States and join Cuba……of all places?

The International Court’s ruling was largely based on a pact signed between Germany and Britain in the early 20th century.

“This is neo-colonialism” an indigene was alleged to have said, “The ruling was done by people who had neither visited the peninsular nor had the courtesy of asking the opinions of the Bakassi indigenes”.

The Bakassi Indigenes, of course from the court ruling, do have options;
They can choose to remain in Bakassi and become Cameroonians or they may migrate to Nigeria with full green cards and loose their land.

The option for those who will remain may not be very juicy in the long run, not that Cameroon is not good, infant Cameroon is just like Nigeria; they both have ranked next to each other (and sometimes exchanging positions) on global corruption statistics – Worst and Second Worst.
But in the past, some of the Bakassi indigenes have helped Nigerian troops fight the Cameroonian forces over the Bakassi, now that Nigerians are gone, you don’t expect Cameroonians to just clap for them, do you?

Nigerians pleaded with the Nigerian government not to obey the International Court’s ruling.
The pleadings notwithstanding, the Nigerian government, earlier this month, announced plans to withdraw from the peninsula and on the 14th of this month, the final withdrawal from Bakassi peninsular was done.

Frustrated about their future, some of the Bakassi indigenes had earlier declared a republic of their own; if Nigeria could not help them, maybe they could help themselves. Their question; “Where is the UN? Where is Amnesty international? Don’t we have rights”?
Sure they do, you’d say, but all animals are not equal.

Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo, on Tuesday, August 22nd said the reason for the pullout was peace, and he announced that government had commenced plans on resettling the immigrants - AFTER THE PULLOUT?

“History will remember that we opted for peace instead of war” he said, but I can only imagine the war their resettlement will cause in the region; imagine thousands of people in small tattered boats ferrying the Atlantic over to Nigeria leaving their worlds behind, on whose land will they stay?

Many have said the Nigerian government made a wrong decision, that by leaving Bakassi; it failed to live up to its responsibilities which includes; Protecting Nigerian territory and indigenes.

Let me hear from you, what would you do if you were in Bakassi, and what do you think your country would do?

Gas Flaring Continues in Nigera as Stakeholders Move to Shift Deadline

2006-08-24T09:48:00.000Z

It has been estimated that Nigeria is reponsible for over 70% of the world natural gas flared. Disturbed by this and in realization of its imensed benefits to a striving economy, the Nigerian government in 2001, put a deadline of 2008 for all Exploration and Production (E&P) companies operating in Nigeria to put out all flares.

The companies were also mandated to install a natural gas utilization strategy for all oil fields coming on stream thenceforth.

Most of these companies including Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon Mobil, Elf, Chevron and Addax Oryx group had commenced gas monetization projects both domestic and international aimed at putting Nigeria's natural gas to use.

However, the story started changing last year when Royal Dutch Shell, the producer of over 50% of Nigeria's over 2 million barrels daily oil production, announced that 2008 is no longer feasible, citing community disturbance and obstruction of company projects among the list of hindrances while requesting for an elongation.

The Nigerian government is yet to issue an official comment on that but it seemed Shell voiced out the intentions of other companies.

On th 31st of August this year, stakeholders in the Nigerian gas sector will be meeting in a workshop in Lagos to discuss their progress and challenges in meeting with the mandate, it is obvious that they will most likely request the government extends the deadline.

And while they continue demanding for an extension, more gas is being flared into the atmosphere causing pollution and inconvenience to the Niger Delta people most of whom are living in darkness.

It becomes more painful when you realize that the flared gas is just what they need to have electricity light.

Technorati

Nigerian Scam; How It Is Done

2006-08-23T10:58:00.000Z

I am obliged to write a post on Nigerian scam because I am a Nigerian living in Nigeria and I don’t want my readers to be victims.

Hey! I can be beaten up for writing this but, lets do it this way, read the post, pass my blog url to the next person, don’t mention my name….ok?

This will be the first in a series about Nigerian Scam (locally called 419 – representing the section of the Nigerian constitution that condemns it)

I am writing it in response to Razib Ahmed’s post and to give an insight about this cyber-crime that has affected me too much;
The Nigerian scam has dampened internet usage in the country,
Because of Nigerian scam, I cannot do e-commerce (because most people won’t accept credit cards from Nigeria) and my mails to many people (especially to bloggers on how best to start) were ignored, because I am a Nigerian.

In his post, Razib said the two Bhutanese were scammed because they were greedy and foolish; he was right but not entirely…

Believe me, lots of people, less greedy than Razib thought, have been victims, most of them won’t speak out because people will think they were greedy and stupid, its just like a rape. Even Nigerians who have heard of it and whose relatives may have been scammed are still scammed daily.

I believe that a crime is best fought by exposing it; so, I will try as much as I can to write about this crime and their strategies as far as I know from experience and interview with scammers.

Some of them are:

Its as normal as any Business
Scammers are not fools, and they know you are not either, but they have to outwit you, so they do things you will never suspect. I know guys that spend days surfing e-bay and other e-commerce centers. They study the goods or services people sell and they know who they are that buy these goods. They surf dating sites and establish good relationships with sugar-coated words. They send business and money transfer proposals that looks authentic like what you do every day. They are as normal as you don’t expect them to be.

It need not come from Nigeria
Cyberspace has no borders and so is cyber-stealing. Successful scammer (419ers) in Nigeria have links abroad (not necessarily Nigerians) that keeps on updating them on security modifications and helps in cashing the loot. I know someone that was scammed by a Nigerian but the initial contact was in the Netherlands.

It may seem to come from a trusted friend
Some internet café in Nigeria have secretly-installed e-mail extractors, probably, contacts abroad may have them installed somewhere too, if your Nigerian partner of friend should access your business mails in an insecure café, your details can get into the wrong hands who can scam your hard-earned change from you before you find out its not your friend.

Razib also said he did not feel pity for the Bhutanese, I will ask him to. Wisdom alone is not the only means of avoiding a scam. Sometimes, even at the time you are being scammed, you will be fully aware of what you are doing.

Something needs to be mentioned here;
Not all scammers are Nigerians!

But, it's a pity that this crime may assume the name "Nigeria" for quite some time.

The bad news is: It is not ending soon.
The good news: The Nigerian government is fighting it to redeem our image abroad.

oops, too much meat for you to swallow in one bite, isn't it?

In subsequent posts, I will give details on this and the war against it.

You too can help; leave a comment on your experience and what you think about this post.

please check out this blog by a Nigerian scammer

home based business reviews
stuff and things
scam exposed
Liberty's Blog
Fight Identity Thief
Disecting a Scam

Gunther Grass' Revelations and World Peace.

2006-08-21T13:49:00.000Z

The whole world was shoched by the revelations of the German novelist, Gunther Grass, that he was a member of the Nazi Secret Service-The Waffen SS-which was responsible for lots of attrocities during the holocaust.

In an interview with a German Newspaper, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Gunther revealed that he was conscripted into the Waffen SS at the age of 17 shortly after being rejected for submarine service.

A winner of the 1999 Nobel price for Literature, Gunther has been a leading figure in Germany. The author, who is well known for his first novel, The Tin Drum in which he describes his perspective of WWII, has been described by many as the conscience of a nation that has lots to regret, and has frequently been called the German Moral Compass. When he speaks people listen and he is known to be blunt in issues of international implications; his description of the present US president as one who likes to be seen as a "cowboy with a smoking gun in his hand in the fight against terror" is an example.

However, the author could no longer keep the secrets of his past and he revealed to the newspaper that these secrets had been weighing on his mind and was one of the reasons he wrote a book of recollections which details his war service. The book is due to be out in September.

The Waffen SS
(Armed SS) Is a notorious organization formed in 1929 to protect Hitler from the growing size and influence of the SA (Sturmabteilung) It grew into an army of over 38 divisions and a million men and was responsible for lots of attrocities of the holocaust; establishing and operating death camps, massive Jews deportation and all such holocaust stuff.

It was declared a criminal organization by the International Military Tribunal during the Nuremberg trials.

Who could have imagined a future Nobel Laureate among the recruits of such a clandestine and deadly organization?

Gunther told the newspaper that he was not involved in any criminal activity while in the SS and wrote that for decades, he had been ashamed to admit what he "accepted in the stupid pride of youth".

His admission has triggered mixed reaction around the world; some have talked about "moral suicide" and a reduced influence, others have talked about an attempt to reveal information in the Nazi secret archive, and there have been at least one voice demanding that his Nobel price be rescinded.
On the other hand, some have called it an innate willingness to "free the conscience".

Despite the widespread criticism, I think Gunther Grass' admission is an apology to the whole world especially the Jewish people and other victims of the holocaust.
It invariably starts a new chapter in the history of world peace.

Imagine what will happen if world notable figures that have crimes hanging on their necks should publicly accept guilt and apologise to their victims.
Think of notable personalities that have regretable pasts... If they can be bold enough to say sorry at the expense of their personal importance like Gunther Grass', the world can be considerate enough to forgive.

In Nigeria for instance, I do feel there will be greater peace and national unity if past Heads of State such as Gen. Ibrahim Babangida should, at least, offer an explanation to allegations of crimes against humanity on them.

Also, here in Nigeria, we have a Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, whom fingers have pointed to when talking about cultism in Nigerian Universities, (and by extension, Nigerian streets) I am of the opinion that if people like him should take Gunther's lead and admit their alledged misdeeds, thinks will look better.

By virtue of this, I think Gunther Grass should no longer be called the German Compass but the world's, and instead of returning his Nobel price, I think he deserves another one....For Peace.

Or don't you think so?

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Future World Energy Supply; Gulf of Guinea VS Arabian Gulf

2006-08-17T13:04:00.000Z

President Bush's proposal to make the United States' "dependence on Middle East oil a thing of the past" has raised questions about the strategic importance of the Middle East in future energy supply.

Acording to a Nigerian newspaper-the Guardian-United States' oil import from the Gulf of Guinea has increased by 33% since 1999, while that from the Middle East has decreased considerably. With countries like Nigeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Ghana and even Mauritania in the Gulf of Guinea recording new discoveries while embracing democracy, the region has been attracting increasing Western attention over the last decade.

Dr. Edmond Daukoru, the OPEC president and also Nigeria's minister of state for Petroleum, said recentley in a confrence hosted by the Nigerian section of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, (SPE) that export from the Gulf of Guinea to the United States, which is dominated by Nigeria, is about 18% at present and is expected to rise to over 25% in the next decade.
In the light of this, there have been a debate within the informed public about the continuous significance of the Arabian and Persian Gulf amid growing attractions to West Africa in terms of short and long term energy supply.

Some of the arguments are presented here;

For The Gulf of Guinea
A publication from the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) gives an insight;

Oil from the Gulf of Guinea is light and less sticky than the stuff from the Middle East.
Most of the oil is in offshore locations where the natives won't notice it being taken, unlike the Middle East where oil is being pumped right in front of Wahhabi fundamentalists who are prone to cause trouble.
Most Western countries seem to have a good relationship with oil producing countries in the Gulf of Guinea.

For the Middle East

Some industry analysts have quelled hopes of a growing West Africa importance. Some of their points are;

If violence is the major thing pursuing the West from the Middle East, then it is not in short supply in the Gulf of Guinea. Recent events in the Niger Delta can attest to this. (See my post on Hostage taking in the Niger Delta)
The strong relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia may not be comparable with the United States' relations with any Afrcan country at present.
The 60 billion barrels of reserve in the Gulf of Guinea is not much when compared with the 250 billion barrels in Saudi Arabia alone!

The debate rages one....

Join in and send you comment on what you think the future will be in terms of petroleum supply to the developed world.

What you need to know for a successful business in the Niger Delta

2006-08-16T12:31:00.000Z

So you have decided to do business in the Niger Delta, eh? You have weighed the options and concluded that the benefits outweigh the turbulence in the region. Of course, violence is not restricted to the Niger Delta alone, it is even worse in most other places.
If your answer is yes, then I will assume that you have made all the preliminary business arrangements; you have gotten a Nigerian partner and have confirmed that (s)he is not a fraud and have registered with the Nigerian investment promotion commission. (contact the Nigerian embassy in your country for further details)

In addition to the preliminaries, there are some basic things you need to know and apply to achieve what you want in the Niger Delta, some of these are;

Get a Reliable Local Liaison

Of course you have a Nigerian partner and you have been assured of his expertise and experience in your area of investment, but in most cases, these partners are not resident in the Niger Delta region and may not fully understand the intricacies of loyalties and allegiance. Make sure your local partner has hired a Community Liaison Officer that understands the domestic politics, has access to the community and youth organizations and will be able to broker a lasting deal. In addition, don't get a CLO without the approval of the community leaders and youth organizations.

Come with a human face

If you read articles on the Niger Delta, especially from this blog, you will understand that the Niger Delta is really deprived and under-developed and that the inhabitants need more of your empathy than your money.

You have to show a genuine understanding for their situation and make plans to accommodate your required contributions.

Don't Over-Estimate the Police

The Nigerian police is doing its best to protect people, and maintain law and order. However, it will not be advisable to believe that they have all the control over the Niger Delta at this time.

Settle the Youths

Youth organizations in the Niger Delta have evolved over the years into a formidable force. What do you expect when unemployment rate is high and there is much neglect.

Ultimately, it will not be wise for an investor to neglect them!

Get in touch with their representatives, liaise with them, settle them

After all, they may be the ones to kidnap or cause trouble for you, not the government.

Try dialogue first, before...

In the past few years there has not been a very friendly relationship between the Nigeria Armed Forces and Communities in this region. Consequently, the natives tend to perceive companies that opt for military involvement as being high-handed and the result may have unpleasant ramifications.

In moments of turbulence, don't be in a hurry to get military security, try to get the State government, community heads, youth leaders and other stake holders to settle the scuffle.

Learn the Nigerian Pidgin English

The Nigerian people have evolved a form of English language that is easily understood and spoken by them as a panacea for communication amid diverse ethnic languages and as leverage for non-literates that may not fully understand the formal English language. Understanding this form of English will facilitate easy and direct community relations.

Well, That's that. I hope it doesn't scare you. as you will find out, the Niger Delta is still one of the best places for business and vacation in the world.

Having spent almost all my life here, I am writing this from personal experience and observations and from discussion with youths in the region. of course, this is not all you need for success. That depends, among other things, on your business plans and intentions. But if you get to the roots of things and observe these few tips, you are not likely to stray from your target.

Sorry, one more thing...

Don't think your country or the Nigerian government can always protect you.

Hostage-Taking in the Niger Delta; An American Company prepares to quit

2006-08-16T10:34:00.000Z

Last week, after two separate incidents in which six oil company workers were kidnapped in Rivers and Bayelsa States, an American company operating in the region-Willbros Nigeria Ltd-says it has had enough. According to a statement by the company's President and Chief Operating Officer, Randy Harl, the company has concluded plans on exiting the country, he said the company has suffered losses of more over $37 million to kidnappings, hostage-taking and community related incidences.

The kidnapping came at the wake of increased violent activities in the Niger Delta. Just two days earlier, three expatriates working for a construction company in Port Harcourt were kidnapped on their way to work making the third hostage-taking incident in one week. A previously unknown group-Movement of the Niger Delta People (MONDP)-has claimed responsibility for the abductions and have gone further to release two Philipinos in their custody.

Earlier this week, The Governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili, held a meeting with representatives of oil companies in the state (including Willbros) and the nation's security operatives to discuss the security of company personnel. The outcome of the meeting was not made known to the public but sources say the companies were happy with the Governor's concern. It is not yet known if the Governor has made Willbros change its mind but the company announced that it has already put up its facilities in the country for sale.

Why has Wilbros failed?
As Wilbros gears to leave, some wonder if this is an unhappy consequence of a failed community relations policy. A look into the company's history kind of suggest this assertion. Willbros had not learnt the nitty-gritty of doing business in the Niger Delta or it did not learn to adjust to dynamic community reactions. (See my post on tips on doing business in the Niger Delta)
In 1999, Choba, Wilbros' host community, picked a quarrel with the company over community development projects. they claimed that Wilbros had polluted the river on which their major source of livelihood-fishing-depends and that in return, Wilbros had not provided jobs for their teaming youths they also were not happy with the fact that they had had to live in darkness being content only with reflections of electricity lights from Willbros' facilities.
On its part, Willbros ran to the Nigerian military for security and the outcome was one of the bloodiest clashes in Nigeria's history.

Also, observers have raised concerns about Wilbros' Personnel Security Strategies. The company pays in cash instead of through the banks and many a times workers have complained of robbers waiting at their door steps right after recieving their pay packages. Last year, I witness a robbery incident on the company that left two persons dead and three others seriously injured.

What next?
As Willbros prepares to leave, I can only imagine the impact of this on hundreds of their employees, in a country saturated with unemployment, this does not seem to be a good development. Some people have wondered if this should be the expected future trend...Could this mark the beginning of the end of onshore oil exploration in the region?

Send in your comments and opinions and let the world know what you feel the future holds for the region.

Welcome Message

2006-08-14T12:43:00.000Z

Hello everyone,

My name is Emeka Agbata, I just did my graduation from the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. I did a dual major in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering and, along with engineering, I also took some courses on Literature. Some time ago, I was introduced to the world of blogging, since I have a fancy for writing and having had some of works published in some technical journals and local publications, I decided to use this medium to bring my environment to

the rest of the world.

I live in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria, and you may have heard that it is one of the hottest Petroleum play ground on the globe!
Also, Nigeria is the largest black nation and it represents a large chunk of African life. On this site, I will keep you abreast with events in Nigeria with special focus on the Niger delta region.

Nigeria is a growing nation in a crucial stage of its development, it is also drawing international attention, not only in terms of oil exploration, but other investment opportunities which will be continuosly highlighted on this blog site. I feel specially priviledged to be a Nigerian blogger at this stage of our development.

I hope this does not disappoint you, I am not a proffessional writer, I only had some of my writings published in some local publications, but you don't need a PhD in English to tell a story, do you?

Of course, writing involves more than that, but as a saying goes in my native language; "It's not the skill but the spirit", I know that passion and consistency are all that one needs to keep going.

For the last few weeks, I have been reading lots of blog posts and I feel honored to join this growing world of cyber-literature.

However, there are about six billion of us in this world, I don't expect everyone to agree with everything I write and, oh how boring it will be if you all agree, but you can make me believe yours, please leave a comment to the posts you see here, my only wish is that have a good time visiting this site.