Stolen Crude!

[gogannaka]

Just recently at the G8 Summit, President Yar'adua said that the Federal Government would soon present a proposal to the United Nations for urgent action to be taken by the international community to clampdown on the illicit trade in stolen crude oil. Yar'Adua said that stolen crude oil ought to be treated globally in the same manner as stolen diamonds.

His words: "I appeal to you and through you to all other G8 leaders to support my new proposal which I will also discuss with UN Secretary General at my meeting with him, that stolen crude should be treated like stolen diamonds because they both generate blood money. Like what is now known as 'blood diamond', stolen crude also aids corruption and violence and can provoke war,"
"The other aspect of the Niger Delta challenge is the criminal aspect, those who use the cover of militancy to steal our crude oil and engage in all forms of violence. We know how arms are brought in to support this criminality but we will tackle the menace together with the challenge of development,"

We have seen how 'blood diamond' caused wars in Liberia, Sierra leone, Angola, Congo ETC and to some extent South Africa.

Could this be the root of the Niger Delta crisis and by extension Nigeria's problems?

I have a friend who has a friend  ;D that works in most offshore oil fields in Nigeria. He told him that the business of stolen crude is far beyond the Nigerian Govt because alot of money is involved and there's an international cartel behind it.
Some estimates put the amount of crude stolen from Nigeria's Niger Delta at 100,000 barrels per day. It is shipped out of Nigeria and sold on the international market.

In the news today a Fillipino vessel carrying a huge amount( 150 metric tonnes) of stolen crude was intercepted by the Nigerian Navy off the coast of the Niger delta.
The president had last two months ordered the Nigerian navy to destroy any ship found on the Nigerian high sea stealing crude. This was communicated to all foreign missions in Nigeria.

I believe the Governors in the region are also part of the cartel and they would not want to see any meaningful development in the region because it would undermine their claim that they need more money to bring development to the Niger delta.

[HUSNAA]

I believe you are right GGNK when you said that the govs of that part of the region are part of the cartel sponsoring the illegal trade in crude, and its not in their interest to have the matter rectified. With the billions being expended in that part of the world and yet a ce there is no development. Wai isnt the ecology of the  Florida everglades the same or nearly the same as the Niger Delta region? How much did it cost to develop the area?

[Dan-Borno]

Abokina kenan, me kake tsammanin irinsu Peter Odili da kuma
Chief Olu Benson Lulu-Briggs sukeyi a Rivers?  It is no more a
secret that the State is actively involved in the bunkering biz,
saboda sun riga da sunce wai the oil is there own property, so
it is better for them to take what is theirs.

Kaga, lokacin Peter Odili as a Governor has control over both
the Police and Army, kuma wadannan agencies din sune suke
patrolling illegal bunkering - so kada shine barawon kuma shine
mai kama barawo.  Yanzu Peter Odili babu wanda ya kaishi
kude a naija, saboda zunzurutun satan petur, akace jirginsa
idan ta iso bakin teku babu irinta duk kasannan.