'A bad workman blames his tools.' -English proverb
A Nigerian official
in the Petroleum Industry says the increase in oil crime rates and
pipelines vandalisation is a result of foreign interventions in the
purchase of illegal crude oil from criminals in Nigeria.
Abolore while
visiting Areppo, scene of the most recent pipeline vandalisation and
fire mishap stated that the power of the vandals and perpetrators of
oil crimes is on the rise because there are ready-made foreign buyers
and foreign cash for the illegal products.
The worrisome aspect
of this statement is maybe there exists any difference between the
vandals, the government and oil officials cum workers. They are all
oil thieves. The government condemning foreigners berth oil in the
coast of Togo so as to perform 'magic' in supply. An act similar to
piracy. Officials also connive with oil marketers to fraud the
country and the people.
One begins to wonder
where lies the legitimacy in the statement when Shell pays government
specially for security to avoid being subjected to environmental laws
and accountability. Where is the legitimacy when citizens are
executed as in the case of Ken Saro Wiwa for Shell BP to continue
operations.
The government
indicting the foreigners is the same government with numerous oil
scandals; swimming in corruption without any iota of responsibility,
accountability and concern for the welfare of the people. Without any
crack in the wall, lizards cannot partition the inside of a fence
into rooms.
No comments:
Post a Comment