While the western media spends every waking hour showing its viewers US Army approved images of the desert, there are other battles taking place around the world. No, not the “war on terrorism” or even the “war on drugs”… no.. the battle that is being waged now poses the Ijaw people of the Niger-Delta state of Nigeria against Chevron and friends.
The Ijaw live in the state of utter poverty while their land helps Nigeria to be the world’s 8th largest oil producing nation. The people receive no benefits or compensation, while the oil from under them is extracted by Shell, Chevron, TotalFinaElf, and Texaco, helping keep those companies rich, while their river is polluted and most of their people have no access to electricity or proper hostipals. In the past, there have been brave people who have come forward and spoken out against the multi-nationals. In the past, those people have been murdered… by the army… or by the oil companies’ security forces (READ-PARAMILITARY)
Well the tables have turned. Out of frustration and desperation, the Ijaw youths have mobilized and armed themselves, and they’ve told the companies to go to hell. Of course, in the process they’ve entered into conflict with other groups in the region. Nevertheless, they’ve chased Shell and Co. out of the Niger Delta… all operations have been suspended indefinately. Unfortunatelly, in the middle of all this are many displaced people, who like the Ijaw youth, want to benefit from their oil, just as the national government and the rest of the world does. To have clean water, proper homes, hospitals, schools, streets, electricity…. you know, those luxuries that multi-national oil companies don’t believe in.