Ask no questions - tell no lies
on May 23, 2006
Category: Nigeria, Niger Delta
China has further consolidated it’s acquistion of Africa with a $1billion investment deal to rebuild Nigeria’s railway system. Only two weeks ago, Nigeria sold the Niger Delta to the Chinese for $4 billion worth of oil leases. As a colonial outpost, albeit one that feeds the nation, it would have been appropriate for the Niger Delta communities to have had some input into this deal and the opportunity to be part of the negotiations to seek the best for their communities.
China is rapidly consolidating it’s hold on Africa’s resources through similiar deals as the Nigerian one. Angola’s railway system is also being rebuilt. Algeria is receiving help with building a highway; military equipment is being sold to Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Sudan so their leaders Mugabe, Obasanjo and Omar Hassan El-Bashir, can use their newly acquired arms against their own citizens.
The West has not given up on Africa but its a hard battle when countries such as Britain insist on conditions like ending corruption and good governance in return for their aid. On the other hand China doesnt offer aid - she invests or rather buys and of course asks no questions. Why should they afterall they have an appalling human rights and corruption record themselves. So on the one hand you have Brown Bono et al with their paternalistic lecturing and threats of bread and water punishment. On the other you have China’s free for all bulk purchase sell and buy anything with no conditions attached. There must be a third way - suggestions welcome.
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8 Comments so far
1. AK
May 23rd, 2006 at 3:12 pm
the third way: Africa going it alone and capitalizing on its own. If it’s an oil drill, find the money internally, have government and the public as majority shareholders and outside investors as junior partners. No more blanket selling of mineral rights. It can work. It only needs the political will and an open process. The money is there, especially if the public can be involved. Look at Kenya and the Kengen IPO as an example. Where did all that money come from? Those billions outsiders bring in can be sourced internally. Lacking technology can be imported but with plans to transfer these to local experts.
2. Mutumia
May 23rd, 2006 at 3:26 pm
african industrialists and robber barons anyone?
3. Herbert
May 23rd, 2006 at 6:09 pm
This is the worst thing that has ever happened in our recent political history as a nation.The communist China has the reputation of fishing in troubled waters from Sudan to Iran AND now they have just added Nigeria on their shopping list.
This is especially troubling considering the tension in the Niger Delta.The Chinese are here to supply Arms and ammunitions in exchange for oil and the local market.
I do not see what we stand to benefit from this partnership under the current political climate on ground.
In Sudan,China continue to arm the government forces and the janjaweeds arab militias in exchange for oi, And China has continued to block moves by the UN security council intervene in Sudan for long.In Iran the communist regime in China has encouraged the mullahs militarily,just yersterday the mullahs in Iran denied reports that China supplied some of the components for her nuclear reactor to Iran.They have effectively till date blocked every move by the security council to either impose sanctions against Iran or any punitive actions against Teheran.
Against all odds and irrespective of the expirience of all the known characteristic of those leaders who has in the past plunged humanity into disastrous wars,China is today courting a regime which has threatened to wipe out its neighbour off the map of the world.China with its communist neighbour Russian has actively supported in building a nuclear plant for the Islamic republic of Iran,all because of their business interest.A nuclear armed Iran is no doubt a nuclear armed HEZBOLLAH and by extension AL-QUEDA and other Islamist groups.
Inspite of the hype in media,In terms of sound technological and political developments,India is miles ahead of China.
Why then did our President prefered the communist China to India- the world largest democracy?
We have so much in common with India both socially and politically.India is a multi-ethnic,cultural and religious society like ours;Again India is a practicing democracy,Moreso,India is a market economy.All these except for last are lacking in China.
What then is the rationale behind this courtship?,Ofcourse the answer is not far-fetched:The Indians could not do business nor support oppressive regimes.India is moving towards the Western model politically,economically and socially,Whereas China on the other hand is dritfing more and more into communism,Hence our President considering his plot to hang on power stands to benefit from China.
Well,Obasanjo cannot be around for so long,i believe this is the rantling of a condemned man,Besides,contracts are subject to review when neccessary.
But,it is evident that the choice was not made with the interest Nigerians on mind,it was a personal exploration without the Nigerian state on board.
4. adefunke
May 23rd, 2006 at 7:17 pm
‘China has further consolidated it’s acquistion of Africa with a $1billion investment deal to rebuild Nigeria’s railway system.’
I am a little confused. Was it not yesterday that this same chinese were payed huge sums to help rebuild our railway system, and upon landing on Nigeria soil went on spending sprees, buying lexuses and mercedes benzs and generally enjoying the good life? WIth not one functioning rail track to show for all the monies spent? I side with Herbert on the choice of China over India.
5. adefunke
May 23rd, 2006 at 7:20 pm
With respect to China, I think we should beware of those bearing gifts, no matter how ‘timely’ the gifts may seem.
6. uaridi
May 24th, 2006 at 1:55 pm
Shoot all our political leaders and start with a fresh crop?
Someone lied to us, and told us that we cannot do anything without outside (western) help, which is a great lie. We have the resources, the people power and brains - we just do not believe in ourselves.
7. Beauty
May 24th, 2006 at 1:59 pm
We should recover our country’s natural resources by renationalising them and aim for transparent accounting in all areas. Publish everything! What’s stopping us? Do we care about competition and industrial espionage? Who is going to use the data against us? Is it not easier to share the info and let everyone contribute? “Restore our dignity and feed our people programme” is only about us as a people. Why must we continue to wait for aid? Education and the rule of law should be priority. The mobile telecoms sector had its phenomenal growth because it was its time in technology history, just like electricity and the internal combustion engine. It is the wrong time for privatisation, Nigeria and indeed Africa is not ready for it. It is only benefiting a few people at the expense of the majority.
A home in every world capital would be nice, but what is success anyway? Success is not greed! Greed is NOT good. Show me a functional people department in either the US or any European country. Things could work much better in these environments because they are suited to those conditions. The reverse is true in Africa where “suffering and smiling” is the norm. The Nigerian problem is mirrored right across Africa where nothing works and people escape abroad. China needs us as much as we need it, but the great dragon must first put its home in order. Unreported health and safety issues in its mines are a case in point; we do not need sloppy quick fixes just like the old USSR did during its glory days.
8. Black Looks
February 15th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
[…] The US government obviously took note as AFRICOM - US miltiary command in Africa is set to be launched although initially it will be based in Germany for some reason. US forces are already based in Djibouti and more recently Command Ethiopa. The cover for creating AFRICOM, which includes Nigeria, is hardly new - risk from al Qaeda linked terrorists on the continent but the truth goes way beyond al Qaeda to protection of US commerical and military interests on the continent. Another interesting dynamic is China and it’s commercial interests in Africa. This begs the question of how the two forces - US military interests and Chinese commercial interests will operate side by side. For example in Nigeria, China has just signed a $billion oil deal while the US is involved on some level militarily both countries operating in the Niger Delta. One school of thought is that the military presence in Africa is more likely to be a “countervailing civilian presence” whose aim is to “to lie low and work through African institutions to train troops and strengthen security,” than actual armed personnel who would continue to be based in the Horn of Africa and Egypt for easy deployment if and when necessary. However the Convergent Interests piece (see link below) commenting on Nigeria states Nigeria, currently providing 10-12 percent of U.S. imports, serves as the cornerstone of this Gulf of Guinea strategy. But since the end of 2005, the on- and off-shore oilfields of the Niger Delta––the major source of Nigerian oil and gas––have essentially become ungovernable. Political instability and violent conflict have deepened to the point that some of the oil and oil-service companies working there, including Chevron, Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon-Mobil, and Julius Berger, feel that their “social license to operate” is rapidly eroding. In 2003 and 2004, armed insurgencies and attacks on oil installations cut national oil output by forty percent. More recently, the emergence of a shadowy group of insurgents in the western Delta in late 2005—the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND)— marked a major escalation of insurgent activity. In the first three months of 2006, $1 billion in oil revenues were lost and national output was cut by one third. The escalating political crisis in the Delta threatens American energy security, the security of Nigeria’s fledgling democracy and, indeed, the entire West African region as a source of reliable energy. […]