InfoAnda - Nigerian village rues the day the oil men came |

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Iraq's Sadrists go to the polls in PM 'referendum' | 2 April 2010
Police call for help in China bus blaze probe | 8 June 2009
United Nations prepares Ivory Coast staff pullout | | 7 December 2010

Exclusive: North Korea's nuclear test ready soon | | 24 April 2012

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Nigerian village rues the day the oil men came |

Edition: U.S. Article Comments (0) Slideshow Save Email Print Reprints Most Popular Most Shared Putin boasts new jet fighter better than U.S. plane 17 Jun 2010 Fresh economic worries trigger rush into gold 17 Jun 2010 Miley Cyrus "no underwear" photo is fake, blogger says 15 Jun 2010 Utah firing squad executes convicted killer 2:10pm EDT German student attacks Hell's Angels with puppy 15 Jun 2010 Apology to BP's Hayward triggers uproar 17 Jun 2010 Female sex pill fails to win over U.S. panel 4:42pm EDT BP aims to raise cash as it struggles to plug well | Video 4:55pm EDT German-Spanish whispering wars hit euro zone 10:17am EDT Pain drugs abuse requires urgent action: CDC 17 Jun 2010 Putin boasts new jet fighter better than U.S. plane 17 Jun 2010 German student attacks Hell's Angels with puppy 15 Jun 2010 Facebook '09 revenue neared $800 million 8:20am EDT Pain drugs abuse requires urgent action: CDC 17 Jun 2010 Utah firing squad executes convicted killer 2:10pm EDT Walgreen and CVS settle drug plan fight 12:09pm EDT Fresh economic worries trigger rush into gold 17 Jun 2010 Oceans choking on CO2, face deadly changes: study 17 Jun 2010 Apology to BP's Hayward triggers uproar 17 Jun 2010 Harry Potter fans swarm new theme park 3:43pm EDT Nigerian village rues the day the oil men came Randy Fabi OLOIBIRI Fri Jun 18, 2010 3:15pm EDT Related News Shell Nigeria investment on hold pending reform 3:09pm EDT Nigeria's Qua oil loadings to rise, repairs continue 3:09pm EDT Nigeria cautions Exxon Mobil on offshore oil spills 3:09pm EDT 1 / 2 Edonabai Edoni, a 46-year-old Nigerian man, sits under a board which says 'Niger Delta must survive' in front of his house in Oloibiri village in the Niger Delta region June 11, 2010. Credit: Reuters/Akintunde Akinleye OLOIBIRI Nigeria (Reuters) - When foreign oil explorers first arrived in his remote Nigerian village, Sunday Inengite Ikpesu welcomed them with open arms thinking they were here to expand the community's palm oil trade. World More than 50 years later, the frail 75-year-old chief of Oloibiri still regrets his naivety. "They told the elders they were looking for oil. We were excited because we thought it was palm oil," Ikpesu said sitting on his porch in his simple one-storey home close to where Shell D'Arcy, the predecessor to today's Shell Nigeria, drilled the country's first oil well in 1956. "Our happiness later turned into sorrow when we saw the oil spills." After five decades of widespread pollution, corruption and conflict, Nigeria's oil saga offers countless lessons of what not to do as a major energy producer. The OPEC member has seen over 2,400 oil spills since 2006, many of them left to fester in the creeks of the Niger Delta. Its oil-stained waterways and devastated fishing stocks offer a stark warning for the United States as it tries to clean up its worst ever oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Millions of gallons of oil have poured in the U.S. Gulf since an April 20 offshore rig blast killed 11 workers and blew out a BP well. The spill has soiled 120 miles of U.S. coastline, imperiled multi-billion dollar fishing and tourism industries and killed birds, sea turtles and dolphins. Shell's chairman in Nigeria, Mutiu Sunmonu, told Reuters comparing the Niger Delta to the Gulf of Mexico was unfair, pointing out the majority of spills in Nigeria are caused by sabotage and oil thieves tapping into pipelines. The Anglo-Dutch firm says it is committed to cleaning up spills whatever their cause, but says armed gangs and even local communities sometimes prevent it reaching spill sites. HISTORY LESSON Studying Nigeria's oil history also provides cautionary tales for newer oil producers, like fellow West African nation Ghana, that are hoping to prevent the natural resource from becoming a curse for their own economies. Standard Bank has estimated the Nigerian government received a nominal $436 billion in direct hydrocarbon revenues and taxes between 1970 and 2007, or around $1.2 trillion in today's money. Decades of government mismanagement and corruption have lined the pockets of a small elite, while the vast majority of Nigeria's 140 million people survive on less than $2 a day. "We regret it. Now we come to understand oil is so important," Ikpesu said, his voice growing louder. "If given the power ... to bring in the companies that have sucked us dry, I wouldn't mind killing everybody like they killed our people with their pollution," he shouted. COCOYAMS, HAND FISHING Before the discovery of oil, cocoyams in Oloibiri were as big as a child's arm and villagers could catch fish with their bare hands in the local pond, according to the local priest. "If you go into the bush, our ponds are no longer holding fish. The area with palm oil is no longer yielding," said Rev. Sunny Ikobho. "This is because of this crude oil." The remote village, located within a 40-minute drive from the Bayelsa state capital of Yenagoa, shows little evidence that it was once the main center of oil production in Africa. At the side of the road to Oloibiri, a simple black stained sign says "Oloibiri Well, drilled June 1956, 12,008 feet," marking the spot where oil was first discovered in Africa's most populous country. Output from the well stopped decades ago. Most of the buildings are small one or two-storey homes with corrugated roofs, while roads are dotted with gigantic potholes. Mains electricity is unreliable and so is the water supply. "We didn't get any of the (oil) profits, we didn't get anything," Goodnews Ngieri, a 74-year-old farmer, said wearing a tattered old shirt with torn jeans. "This is why you see the place like it is." (Additional reporting by Austin Ekeinde; Editing by Nick Tattersall and Philippa Fletcher) World Add a Comment *We welcome comments that advance the story directly or with relevant tangential information. We try to block comments that use offensive language or appear to be spam and review comments frequently to ensure they meet our standards. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Editorial Editions: Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom United States Reuters Contact Us Advertise With Us Help Journalism Handbook Archive Site Index Video Index Reader Feedback Analyst Research Mobile Newsletters RSS Podcasts Widgets Your View Labs Thomson Reuters Copyright Disclaimer Privacy Professional Products Professional Products Support Financial Products About Thomson Reuters Careers Online Products Acquisitions Monthly Buyouts Venture Capital Journal International Financing Review Project Finance International PEhub.com PE Week FindLaw Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

Other News on Saturday, 19 June 2010
3 Americans, 1 Brit killed in southern Afghanistan
Rescuers search for missing from floods in southern France
Mexican wrestling muscles into US videogame arena
Spanish judge says he should be acquitted
2 Americans, 1 Brit killed in southern Afghanistan
I killed, cut off heads says repentant Mexico hitman |
IMF chief backs embattled Spanish government
One in four US adults, teens have texted while driving: Pew
Nobel-winning novelist Saramago dead at 87
2 Americans killed in southern Afghanistan
Iceland safe haven for press freedom: Wikileaks insider
Second strike hits China Toyota supplier |
Russia serious about change, Medvedev tells West
Sia Writing Songs For Britney Spears
Senate Tries to Break Deadlock on Emergency Unemployment Benefits
Court says search of policeman's pager not privacy violation
Rachel McAdams, Channing Tatum Share "The Vow"
Colombia rescuers fight to reach miners after blast |
Time to wake up to cyber threat: experts
Denmark's beached whale 'has no chance of survival'
Texas Woman Charged With Assault After Boyfriend Shot n Face
FCC Wants To Tighten Broadband Rules
Nigerian village rues the day the oil men came |
Apple Asks FCC To Guard iPhone Secrets
Kosovo terror suspect wanted in U.S. released |
35,000 Cases Of SpaghettiOs Recalled Over Processing Fears
Indian Lawmakers Get Verbal Assurances From Clinton On Pakistan
Walgreens, CVS Reach Network Pharmacy Deal
Massachusetts Father Arraigned In Murder Of Family
Verbeek hits back as Socceroos face crunch
Five communist rebels slain in Philippines: police
S.Korea must respond sternly to N.Korea attacks: army chief
Japan growth plan bets on green-tech, health, tourism
Hong Kong leader concedes defeat in reform debate
Thai government hints at extending emergency rule
Another Toyota strike shuts major plant in China
China plans Xinjiang crackdown for riot anniversary
Nearly 70 dead as China floods continue
Gold price hits record above $1,258 an ounce
Dutch Layar signs global augmented reality deals |
Madrid's Prado to stage Turner exhibition
In Italy, love it, hate it, gotta have a vuvuzela
Beatles manuscript nabs 1.2 million dollars at auction
Jewel in the croon: Music is key to love, say scientists
Ingres, Ellsworth Kelly face-to-face at Rome expo
History sewn up in buttons
Human Heads Found At Arkansas Airport
Lesbians get real on TV's Real L Word |
Vocal problems force Simon & Garfunkel tour cancellation |
Tilda Swinton finds life colliding with fantasy |
Moscow film festival bids to boost Russian cinema |
British dandy, author Horsley dies: report |
Militants kill NATO soldier in Afghanistan: alliance
Sweden's future queen to wed former personal trainer
Apple shares hit all-time high of 275 dollars
Deposed Kyrgyz leader blamed over ethnic violence |
Afghan informers play dangerous game in Taliban heartland
Sarkozy rival to launch new French political party
Caracas asks Interpol to arrest anti-Chavez media mogul
U.S. missile strike kills 12 in NW Pakistan |
UN chief: Security in Afghanistan has not improved
5 NATO troops including 3 US killed in Afghanistan
Toyota shuts China plant after more strikes reported |
U.S. Stocks Inch Higher Friday, Gain On The Week
5 NATO troops including 1 US killed in Afghanistan
Gunmen attack police building in south Yemen |
Over 100 dead or missing after heavy China rains |
Obama renews call for release of Myanmar's Suu Kyi |
Mexican police find 12 bodies in Cancun |
One million caught up in Kyrgyz violence, U.N. says |
Quake off India's Andaman islands |
Odds against Wales but All Blacks wary
Calif. university will allow media at Palin event
US drone strike kills three in Pakistan: officials
Minimum and maximum temperatures in Celsius
Karzai visits Hiroshima to pray for atomic bomb victims
Probe into top China official linked to J&J: report
Vietnam steps up car horn patrols: media
Moderate quake hits India's Andaman Islands
Dalai Lama criticises anti-whaling protesters
China's vice president to visit Australia amid tax spat
China minister shrugs off labour unrest concerns
More than 1 mln evacuated in China over flood threat
G20 summit to debate China's currency policy: Canada
Suu Kyi marks 65th birthday under house arrest
Famous Polaroid photo collection goes under hammer
Oliver Stone's 'South of the Border' highlights festival
John Lennon handwritten lyrics sell for $1.2 million |
Michael Jackson concert promoters pay up as anniversary nears |
Cyrus steps out of tween idolhood toward Liberty |
Cyndi Lauper realizes longtime dream with Blues |
Rapper Chuck D takes aim at Arizona in new track |
REVIEWS: The-Dream, Stone Temple Pilots, Sergio Mendes |
Nobel-winning Portuguese author Saramago dies at 87 |
Philadelphia jazz singer finds warm welcome overseas |
Twenty-two dead as Turkish troops clash with PKK |
EU chief Barroso says euro is strong
Fewer Afghan civilians hurt: NATO |
Al Qaeda network severely degraded: U.S. envoy |
Egypt says will not alter Palestinian unity pact |
Iran denies U.S. assertion its missiles menace Europe |
Fallen Tree Pins Driver To Death During Storm, 170,000 Without Power
One dead in Iraqi protest over power cuts in Basra |
In season of optimism, Kashmir Hindus dream of return |
Boot of Wilkinson helps England stun Wallabies
US drone strike kills 11 in Pakistan: officials
US envoy ends tour with visit to Egypt's Mubarak
Records: Girl's killer had calm, calculating mind
Record number of Indian candidates seeking office
China central bank to promote currency reform
China to allow more exchange rate flexibility
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01