Again, Yar’Adua wants ‘Blood Diamond’ concept for stolen oil
From Patrick Ugeh in Abuja, 09.12.2008
Friday, September 12, 2008

President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua has again urged international community to regard petroleum products stolen from conflict areas as blood oil, in the same mould as blood diamond.



Speaking yesterday at the opening ceremony of the West Africa Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), Yar'Adua, who spoke through his deputy, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, said: "Of keen interest to the Nigerian government is the application of the Kimberly process to elements of extractive industries other than diamond. The Nigerian experience shows that there is a sense in which we can talk of blood oil."

According to the president, there were definitive challenges which EITI must face up to in the various countries of the West African sub-region, adding: "It must be stressed that, desirable as it is, EITI is not a magic bullet. This is because mere implementation of EITI will not provide the omnibus solution to all the developmental challenges of a society. By the same token, EITI cannot be a stand-alone item on the agenda for development."

He said there was therefore the critical need to strengthen the link between transparency, accountability and overall development, adding that meaningfully addressing these challenges would require innovative strategies that speak to "our peculiar situations."

Yar'Adua stated that given the strategic importance of oil, gas and solid minerals in the economies of West Africa, and given the urgent need for a more transparent and prudent management of revenues from these sectors, the ongoing conference was a timely forum.

"Six short years after its birth in South Africa, we are beginning to see that EITI is not an empty call: it can work, and it does work," he said.

"Even this early in the day, early fruits are becoming manifest: searchlights are being beamed on dark places; civil society, companies and government are collaborating for a win-win solution to resource governance".

"Sharp practices are being exposed; perceptions and incidences of corruption are reducing; citizens and civic groups are asking hard questions, becoming more constructively engaged, and in the process, strengthening the levers of democracy and development."

The president, who said Nigeria's experience was a living proof of the usefulness of EITI, stated that 50 years after it started exporting oil in commercial quantity, the country was yet to diversify its economy satisfactorily, or provide requisite physical infrastructure, and develop its human capital adequately.

"Rather, oil seemed to fuel corruption and bad governance," he said, noting however, that because of the government's resolve to reverse this trend, the Nigerian government initiated a package of anti-corruption and governance reforms, a major part of which was the reform of the petroleum sector."

As a result, he said, it was no surprise that Nigeria was one of the first countries to sign on to, and implement EITI, a feat that was acknowledged by the AU Executive Director, M.H. Khalil Timamy, Netherlands Ambassador, Arie van der Wiel, Norwegian envoy, Mr. Tore Nedrebo, World Bank's Country director, Mr. Onno Ruhl and ECOWAS president, Dr. Ibn Chambas, among others.

Chair of NEITI, Prof. Assisi Asobie, listed the impact of the reforms on Nigeriaís economy to include an increase in the Foreign Direct Investment inflow ffrom US$1.47 billion in 2000 to US$7.6 billion in 2007 while GDP per capita rose from $875 in 2003 to $1,500 in 2007, while the Transparency Internationalís Corruption Perception Index improved from 1.6 in 2000 to 2.2 in 2007 and 2008.

http://odili.net/news/source/2008/sep/12/214.html

my dear auntie funmi. i suspect you are one of this yaradua's secret wives. the amount of publicity you give him. is he well now?

this is an old story they are recycling again

I just like the guy.

To properly identify the source of all crude oil being shipped out of Nigeria, each container of oil should be filled with numerous ping-pong balls on which serial identification numbers are written, so as to thwart the activities of oil smuggling gangs.

Alternatively, a red dye could be added to all intercepted shipments of smuggled oil in order to definitively identify them as blood oil to potential buyers in Europe.

It's a pity that an Ijaw man Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is his spokes person in this kind of issue. Talk about smearing his already down people in the name of serving his masters. The Gods of Ijaw land should smack that guy.

QuotaSyste:

It's a pity that an Ijaw man Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is his spokes person in this kind of issue. Talk about smearing his already down people in the name of serving his masters. The Gods of Ijaw land should smack that guy.

Ewo lo fe fa epe

hmmmm. . . .abi the deaths caused by environmental problems and polluted water and air, the dead fish, periwinkles and subsequent loss of local economy, the lung cancer, the PDP election clashes that created all this mayhem. . .  and the miscarriages. . . Ken Saro-Wiwa, the 2000 dead Ogonis and hundreds of Odi's. . . .the internal displacement of 80,000 Ogonis. . . . . is that not blood?. . . no, it must be plasma. . . plasma TV, that is!

I heard that Ijaw Youth Congress submitted a petition to the UN, warning all countries not to buy Nigerian oil period. . . according to them, it is blood oil. 

Ibime:

Wow. . . . isn't this hypocritical?. . . . hmmmm. . . .abi the deaths caused by environmental problems and polluted water and air, the dead fish, periwinkles and subsequent loss of local economy, the lung cancer, the PDP election clashes that created all this mayhem. . .  and the miscarriages. . . Ken Saro-Wiwa, the 2000 dead Ogonis and hundreds of Odi's. . . .the internal displacement of 80,000 Ogonis. . . . . is that not blood?. . . no, it must be plasma. . . plasma TV, that is!

I heard that Ijaw Youth Congress submitted a petition to the UN, warning all countries not to buy Nigerian oil period. . . according to them, it is blood oil. 

Preach on. That's what i have been asking from you. It's not too much thing to ask. You should know who your real enemies are and there is no room to negotiate with them after long wait and sacrifice. Emancipate yourselves and take your destinies into your hands. There are so many countries inside countries. Swaziland and Lesotho are inside South Africa and land locked. Gambia is inside Senegal. Who says Ijaw country can't exist with Ogoni inside it or behind it as country of it's own as well? Who said so?

Ibime:

hmmmm. . . .abi the deaths caused by environmental problems and polluted water and air, the dead fish, periwinkles and subsequent loss of local economy, the lung cancer, the PDP election clashes that created all this mayhem. . .  and the miscarriages. . . Ken Saro-Wiwa, the 2000 dead Ogonis and hundreds of Odi's. . . .the internal displacement of 80,000 Ogonis. . . . . is that not blood?. . . no, it must be plasma. . . plasma TV, that is!

I heard that Ijaw Youth Congress submitted a petition to the UN, warning all countries not to buy Nigerian oil period. . . according to them, it is blood oil. 

when will ijaw youth start campaigning for their tribesmen to quit the PDP party, that way they know their own people are not contributing to the problems of the region

Dis Guy:

when will ijaw youth start campaigning for their tribesmen to quit the PDP party, that way they know their own people are not contributing to the problems of the region

lol. . . we will withdraw from the political process when the Hausas, Igbos and Yorubas do likewise.

Ibime:

lol. . . we will withdraw from the political process when the Hausas, Igbos and Yorubas do likewise.

ha! so you'll continue to enjoy the cake like everyone else
_{na naija man kill am na naija man go bury am!}

It's a pity that an Ijaw man Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is his spokes person in this kind of issue. Talk about smearing his already down people in the name of serving his masters. The Gods of Ijaw land should smack that guy.

You've jumped from ibo spokesman to ijaw spokesman?

DeepZone:

You've jumped from ibo spokesman to ijaw spokesman?

This transgendered sef. I am spokes person against injustices towards any group. I know you like what's happening to the Ijaws at the moment. Deny it.

What could be more blood spilling than nigerian governments?past and present.

This transgendered sef. I am spokes person against injustices towards any group. I know you like what's happening to the Ijaws at the moment. Deny it.

whatever

How can a sane person begin to reason with you?. You may soon enter my ignore list here because i have a lot of members on my ignore list.

@Dee3pzone

And am sure a lot of users have u on their ignore list