Response to Curse of Resources

Countries that have wealth such as oil, diamonds and other resources are now considered to have a curse. Interesting concept, namely that a country's resources should not be for its people, but for investors of corporate-centered globalization. Some countries in South America are considered economic nationalism, with Venezuela leading the way. Nigeria, with fabulous wealth is one of the world's poorest countries. Their oil wealth has been extracted but there is some resistance there that you won't read about in the mainstream press. It does reside, however, in the business press, since investors need to know what is going on in the world. The rest of us need to be told we are anxious, and suffering from Massive Insecurity requiring us to purchase the products advertised there (May issue of Oprah magazine). But the following piece from today's New York Times business section points out what some people in Nigeria are trying to do to recover from their curse. Their efforts are probably not supported by some grant from a charitable organization, as the revolution will not be funded. Stephen

NYT May 16, 2007

Nigerian Oil Production Falls After a Pipeline Hub Is Overrun
By LYDIA POLGREEN
NDJAMENA, Chad, May 15 -- Young protesters have overrun an oil pipeline hub in the volatile Niger Delta, the authorities said, helping to cut Nigeria's oil production by about 30 percent as the country weathers a period of instability after a deeply flawed election last month.
The protest, by activists of the Ogoni tribe in the Niger Delta, is the latest violence among ethnic militias that have attacked pipelines and other facilities since the election last month returned the ruling People's Democratic Party to power with wide margins.
The European Union called the election, which was marred by fraud and intimidation, not credible, and Nigerian observers demanded a revote.
Since May 7, a group of protesters in one of the oil-producing states has occupied a Chevron oil field, and in a neighboring state, Bayelsa, a militant group called the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta has bombed three pipelines, disrupting the flow of nearly 100,000 barrels a day for the Italian oil company Eni. The disruptions helped push oil prices in New York to $63.17, up 71 cents a barrel.
More than a dozen foreign workers are being held hostage in the Niger Delta, and dozens more have been kidnapped and released in the last year as violence in the oil region has escalated. Despite producing most of Nigeria's foreign currency earnings, the Niger Delta is one of the poorest regions of the country.
Militants in the region have said that they plan to escalate their attacks in the weeks leading up to the inauguration of Nigeria's president-elect, Umaru Yar'Adua. He was declared the winner of an election that international observers said had been marred by ballot stuffing, intimidation and incompetence by electoral officials. Mr. Yar'Adua has said he plans to make developing the Niger Delta a priority.
But these promises have made little impact on militants, who vow to increase their attacks. In an e-mail message, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta said: "Our objective remains the same, to destroy the Nigerian oil export industry and compel the government to address the injustice in the Niger Delta."