Nigeria's First Oil Well Is Still A Source Of Woe

Surveyor Robert Nadioni gestures near Oil Well No.ƒ|1, which two villages are feuding over.
The most they can hope for is ¡§community outreach¡¨ money from Royal Dutch Shell.

From The L.A. Times:

Two villages feud over who owns the land, hoping that soaring prices will lead to a little money from petroleum companies.

OIL WELL NO. 1, NIGERIA -- Three decades after pumping its last drop, the first oil well in Nigeria is marked by a decrepit signboard bearing what would seem an uncontroversial statement:

Oloibiri Well No. 1, drilled June 1956, 12,008 feet.

But this well, its wellhead furred with rust, is at the center of an increasingly vitriolic feud between two villages over who owns the land it's on. The conflict is fed by hope that soaring prices will tempt big business to squeeze more oil from the well and give a pittance to the village that owns the land.

Read More ....

More News On Nigeria

Nigeria president seeks global help to end oil theft -- Reuters South Africa
Brown to hold Nigerian oil summit -- The Guardian
Leaders in Nigeria’s Restive Niger Delta Reject Government-Proposed Summit -- Voice Of America
The Great Nigeria Oil Robbery -- American Spectator

My Comment: This L.A. article provides one more reason why we in the West must develop our own resources and alternative energy products. To be reliant for our energy from unstable countries like Nigeria will only hurt us in the end.

Nigeria: Sliding Toward The Abyss?

From Strategy Page:

June 3, 2008: The government is not making much progress in shutting down the tribal rebels, particularly MEND, in the Niger Delta. Stealing oil and kidnapping foreign oil workers for ransom has become too lucrative for too many people for the police and military to cope. About a quarter of the nation's oil production has been halted by the unrest. A newly president, who promised to crack down on corruption and ineffective government, is showing signs of tolerating the same old bad habits.

Additional News From Other Sources:
Nigeria: Oil and Gas Operations Fragile - Shell -- All Africa.com
Corruption blamed for Nigeria's failure sluggish development -- China View
Oil Brings Revenue, Problems to Africa -- Voice Of America

My Comment: A culture of corruption and lawlessness was already present before the discovery of oil in Nigeria .... or for that matter the entire continent of Africa. Until this culture changes, there is no hope for justice and sustainable development to occur in Africa.