Take out the oil, bring in the jobs
Friday, July 2, 2010 at 12:07AM 
Nigerian delta rebels pic found here
FT story on oil & gas in Africa.
Laments the troika of security forces, politicians and criminal gangs that engage in so much theft of crude oil in the Nigerian delta. The broken promise that seems to link them all: militants complain the government hasn't come through with the projected jobs.
So "the motivation for young men to take up arms is simple":
"There are no jobs, nothing for us, says Paul, 22, a fighter in Bayelsa state.
Worse:
Crude spills have poisoned long stretches of the creeks where locals fish, wash and workship.
Corruption is to blame:
The delta is not poor for a lack of money. The oil-producing states receive a bigger slice of federal revenues than the rest of the country. Corruption diverts much of it, however.
What the oil companies have learned: better to spread some wealth in offset projects (clinics, schools, etc.) to as wide a swath as possible than concentrate it in local communities. Otherwise jealously sets in, followed by instability.
Africa, energy, extractive industries | in Citation Post | Email Article | Permalink | Print Article 
Reader Comments (2)
Where does ANYONE get the idea that government (Any Government) can supply (or create) JOBS?
"What the oil companies have learned: better to spread some wealth in offset projects (clinics, schools, etc.) to as wide a swath as possible than concentrate it in local communities. Otherwise jealously sets in, followed by instability."
Well Duh ;-)