http://feingold. senate.gov/ ~feingold/ statements/ 08/09/20080929a. htm
As Submitted to the Record
September 29, 2008
Mr. President, last week I chaired a hearing on the “resource curse” and Africa ’s management of its extractive industries. In too many parts of Africa , a wealth of natural resources that should be fueling economic development are instead sources of corruption and conflict. This is especially the case with sub-Saharan Africa ’s leading oil-producing nations. Just a few days ago, Transparency International released its corruption index, naming three of Africa’s top oil producers— Chad , Equatorial Guinea and Sudan —among the top ten most corrupt countries. This corruption as well as the discrepancy between persisting poverty and skyrocketing revenues is a recipe for instability in these countries, breeding weak and failing states.
Continue reading "Remarks of U.S. Senator Russ Feingold On the “Resource Curse” in Nigeria ’s Delta Region" »
President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua may have made a tactical blunder in tackling the Niger Delta crisis when he reportedly covertly or overtly told the world's richest heads of state at the recent 2008 G8 Summit in Japan of Nigeria's hopelessness in handling the Niger Delta militancy and the country's possible inability to meet its OPEC oil production quota.. The president stopped short of prostrating to the world's richest presidents to intervene in the Niger Delta crisis At the summit, Nigeria's president reportedly quietly informed the United States President, George Bush and his British counterpart, Gordon Brown, of Nigeria's helplessness in tackling the the rising wave of militancy in the Niger Delta.
Continue reading "'Blood Oil' and the Forgotten Master Plan" »
•Nigeria/America business partnership tops agenda
By Paul Ohia and Agha Ibiam, 06.12.2008
The United States Amba-ssador to Nigeria, Ms. Robin Renee Sanders, has said the preoccupation of her country in the Niger Delta region is to offer humanitarian intervention, education and promotion of dialogue as a way of affecting the oil-producing communities positively.
She ruled out any military intervention despite her country's perceived military and technological capability to fish out the militants and protect US economic interest in the region.
Sanders acknowledged Nig-eria's ability to understand that the agitation of the people on political and environmental issues are genuine, but said the US would only come in to be of assistance in the humanitarian efforts.
The ambassador was speaking during a courtesy visit to THISDAY corporate headquarters in Lagos, yesterday, the first to any Nigerian media house since she assumed office last year.
She said the issue of oil price jumping up after every attack in the area affects everybody in the world and not only the US.
"There is a legitimate concern in the Niger Delta both politically and economically. The political dialogue has to be spearheaded by Nigeria," she said, adding that her country has in place conflict resolution, entrepreneurial, education and sundry programmes to complement the efforts of the Nigerian government.
Posted by Inemo Samiama
Continue reading "Our Interest in N’Delta, By US" »
