Sent: Aug 22, 2006 8:26 AM
Troops Abuse Rights In Oil Delta ...Deja Vu?
By Adaoma
nwaakwukwo@yahoo.com
Olisa wrote:
Dear Adaoma,
If you do not mind my saying it, you have impregnated the discourse
with political ideologies. It may be a good idea if we do not bound
together the crisis in the Delta with political ideology.
Adaoma responds:
Olisa, whether you explicitly say so or not, you push the ideology
of the so-called "Rule of Law", when you suggest that the issues
protested are regulated by state and local government and that the
transnational oil companies are bound by their contracts and should be penalized
for violations by it. "Rule of Law" is a "political ideology", es
verdad?
And your political position is to side with the State.
I support the workers, saying that the Federal government and the oil companies forced the people of the Niger Delta into the role of proletariat when they devastated their livelihood of fishing and farming. Unless they take the productive forces and run the oil industry, they must negotiate an acceptable derivation or sell their labor...like the rest of proletariat.
Olisa wrote: Ordinarily, Fubara is a very reasonable man and adheres to the political philosophies of universalism. On the crisis in the Delta, he sounds very parochial by exhibiting the underlying prejudices. A prejudice of this type is normal and natural but it colors critical judgment. I was only reminding Fubara that he was not a disinterested party on this matter. I have indicated that Fubura's academic postulations were spiced with prejudices. Being academic and prejudiced can coexist inclusively or exclusively. Please understand the context of prejudice here as bias or partial.
Adaoma writes: Fubara is consistently reasonable. He did not mention his ethnic group. You "outed him" and introduced ethnicity into the discussion with him, while wrongly assigning "prejudiced" to Fubara. In so doing, you reveal your own subjectivity and bias.
Olisa wrote: The binary argument of "we versus they" does not apply here because the government of Nigeria is inclusive of all peoples within its political space.
Adaoma responds: "Inclusive"? Really? Then are there workers from Niger Delta on the Nigerian police force? Are there workers from Niger Delta involved in the process of deciding derivation? Are there any workers from the Niger Delta in advisory to Obasanjo on the crisis in Niger Delta? If not...define "inclusive" or admit that your statement is inaccurate.
Olisa wrote: Nigerian constitution does not have any section that is target against the citizens of Delta Region. Demand for fairness and equity is not an empirical equation with benchmark. It is purely an interpretation that does not exclude counterpoise argument against it. For instance, what the citizens of Delta Region are demanding will be loss to citizens of other regions in Nigeria.
Adaoma writes: Whatever the Constitution says, it should serve the citizens of Nigeria. Something that would probably never be allowed in Western Countries but sufferred by Niger Deltans - oil pipelines above ground and running though middle of towns, backyards, playgrounds, and burial grounds.
Niger Deltans. Can you explain how the Constitution serves them? The demands of the workers in the Niger Delta are the same demand as workers all over Nigeria and all over the world! These demands are a great deal more than your empty terms of "fairness and equity", which are subjective terms. Workers want food, running water, electricity, schools, hospitals and the ways and means to provide for their families. That is concrete, objective and explicit...unlike your "fairness and equity". Should not all workers in Nigeria press for these... beginning in Niger Delta?
Olisa writes: Hence, the operative word here is balance. Balance means, win-win solution method, or else it will lead to adversarial relationship between one group and the other.
Adaoma says: Niger Deltans harvest the oil and the rest of Nigeria eats. Where is the balance, Olisa?
Olisa wrote: Delta region have elected officials in Nigerian legislative houses, both federal and state. Problems relating to environmental degradation are resolved through legislation that demand environmental impact statements with provisions for penalties and damages on violation. Niger Delta legislators ought to introduce or sponsor bills or legislation that will deal with environmental mitigations, penalties and damages. That is why it is pointless to be taking hostages and vandalizing pipelines.
Adaoma responds: So, Olisa says that the Federal government that contracts the oil companies, that pollute Nigerian communities and rob Nigeria citizens of the ability to labour as they have for generations (farming and fishing) is not culpable, excused, exempt. He is saying that rather it is Niger Delta that must initiate change. In other words its up to Niger Deltans to clean up the mess made by government and oil. Is that not adding insult to injury! Besides, he has already established that "government" on any level is not made accountable. There is not evidence in any state that this would work.
Olisa says: Delta region are paid compensation of 13% derivation from the federation account. Infrastructural developments they are asking for ought to be addressed with 13% derivation. There is no developing country in the world, including almost all the developed countries in the world that pay more than 13% net derivation to the owners of the mineral. Please do research and prove me wrong. Here in the US it is 9% to 25% gross, excluding 25%-33% federal taxes and 10%-15% state taxes on paid royalties to the mineral owners.
Adaoma says: The burden of proof is on you, Olisa. You do the research and present tha data to support your argument! The workers of Niger Delta say 13% is not enough!
Olisa wrote: Provision of feeder roads, pipe borne water, schools, hospitals are States and local government responsibilities. That is not the responsibilities of the federal government.
Adaoma wrote: This sounds like a direct quote from George W. Bush when he was denying accountability to the people of Hurricane Katrina. Come on Olisa, you can do better than that!
Olisa Osita wrote: In the recent years, most of the Federal Government investments are in the Delta Region. The biggest project in Nigeria is Liquefied Natural Gas Project sited in the Delta. All the major power plants are cited in the Delta Region. Most of the Nigerian petrochemical complexes are sited in the Delta region. There is no question that these projects do not directly impact economic lives of citizens living in rural and swampy areas of the Delta. But these are problems that will be solved in the long run and can never be resolved in the short run because of limited resources.
Adaoma writes: Olisa has just rattled off all the federal investments in the Niger Delta with one side of his mouth and with the other side of his mouth said that the resources are "limited"...when it comes to the citizens of Nigeria living like "field mice". All these resources are behind barbed wire fences and iron gates. The fruit of the labor of the Niger Deltan workers are withheld from them by police. The resources that Niger Deltan workers produced are barred from them by the "armed might" of Federal troops of their own government. And these workers, laborers of the Niger Delta are killed...for what? For wanting to live (in the midst of this wealth that they themselves produce) better than "field mice".
Is that not a damned shame!
Olisa wrote: The militias in the Delta region are working for their own selfish interests using populist rhetoric as if they are acting on behalf of the citizens for demands of social services. What is the nexus between taking hostages of oil workers or vandalizing oil installations got to do with providing social services to the citizens. These militias are shakedown artists and they have taken armed insurrections against the constituted authorities of the federal government.
Adaoma answers: It is the Federal government that uses populist rhetoric to all of Nigeria pretending to represent all of Nigeria and the interests of all the people. When the Federal has shown that their master is Britain and takes orders from Jack Straw to bomb villages and kill the women and children of the Niger Delta to protect oil profits. Federal government has shown that their master is the United States and takes orders from George Bush in the turning over of Charles Taylor.
Olisa Osita writes: However immoral and inhumane the use of lethal force may be, there are times when it becomes the most viable alternative in fending off internal implosion of sovereign state. No responsible government can afford to sit by the periphery watching the growth of paramilitary rebels carrying out acts of banditry and pillage. The general security of lives and properties of majority of Nigerians are by far exceeded the bum rap against suppression of armed bandits, using any means necessary, including the use of excessive lethal force. We are not dealing with ethnic biases here but an admonition for aggrieved citizens to seek redress through constitutional means. You may also wish to note that in Nigeria, there are many other minerals being mined at all the regions in the country. All the areas affected are devastated. The solution is in the passing of environmental legislations that will protect citizens against environmental degradations. I have not said anything about multinational oil companies. It is because the Nigerian laws bind companies operating in the country and if they are in violation, citizens ought to seek redress and claim damages. But first thing first; and that is the mobilization of resources to pass environmental legislations as point of departure.
Adaoma' rejoinder: Police dogs, fire hoses, billy clubs, door to door raids and interrogations and shooting of civilians, bombings and troops have never been a "viable alternative" to providing food, water, housing, education and health care and livelihood. The underscored are the necessities of life that all working people labor for. Working people are increasingly coming to the realization that we are all on the same side.
---LabourPartyPraxis discussion - subscribe
