Oil is Thicker Than Blood

So what really is the problem of this people? The answer is simple. They want better life. They want to be treated fairly like their contemporaries in other parts of the world where oil is produced. They want to be treated with some dignity, and not as infidels. For instance, the Nigerian oil-bearing communities want to be treated like the people of Shetland Islands in the United Kingdom which is the homeland of the popular North sea oil. The small Island with a landmass of about 800 square kilometres and a population of 30,000 is blessed with huge North Sea oil deposit. And for such privilege, it rakes in good money to compensate for the damage done to its environment by the oil prospecting companies. Perks enjoyed by the island include a substantial portion of the oil proceeds which form about 42 per cent of the budget of the local council. The community is also paid disturbance (inconvenience) fees. The story is the same elsewhere, in Europe, Middle East and America. In th e United States, precisely in Alaska, oil money form about 80 per cent of the budget. Not only that, the people of Alaska benefit from the licensing fees paid by oil companies operating in that domain. That is the compensation they get for their natural endowment which is being explored and exploited by these firms.

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In Nigeria, rather than negotiate with the oil firms on behalf of the people, rather than make laws that would guarantee comfort for the people, the government aligns with the oil firms to crush the people.

AllAfrica