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But look over there [pointing toward a very distant glow]. See those high fences and bright lights? That’s an estate exclusively for foreign oil workers. In there are people living in all imaginable comfort. They have electricity. We don’t. They have jobs, clean water and food. We don’t. They have come from abroad to steal our natural resources because corrupt politicians in government share all our oil wealth with them.
Now there is little hope for peaceful improvement. That’s why we’ve resorted to fighting for a greater share of oil wealth for the impoverished local population living without electricity, running water or a clean environment.
Me: But who exactly are you fighting?
Militant: First, we’re fighting the federal government for political neglect nurtured over the years, resulting in a fifty-year history of mismanagement, exploitation, political corruption and violence that has meant few of the benefits which the vast oil wealth has brought to foreign companies and a rich elite in the country have reached us.
Second, we’re fighting the foreign oil companies for environmental harm and gross lack of social responsibility. For decades their operations have impacted adversely on the environment. Oil spills and gas flares in particular have destroyed natural resources central to local livelihoods. You can’t go anywhere without seeing pipes, signs, and gas flares all around you. The horizon is lit by unnatural orange glow, the flames from massive chimneys flare off the natural gas brought up as by-product of the oil, polluting the air, our farmlands, streams and fishing grounds.
What makes it all the more annoying is that they used to control knowledge and information about the environment, seeking to conceal rather than clean up their acts of unsustainable exploitation, with support from state violence threatening numerous lives, while hosts of women, youth and the poor in general suffered most in the process.
Me: Aren’t you generalizing too much? It’s possible that not all of these multinationals exploit resources to the detriment of local people… (Interrupts)…?
Militant: They are all involved! Let’s take Shell – by far the biggest and most significant oil company operating here – for instance, Shell does not flare gas in America or any part of Europe but in Nigeria they do it without even considering the need to compensate the communities who suffer the effects of their flaring. If they are not flaring gas in their home countries or other countries like Britain and Holland, it is wrong for them to flare gas in our homeland and what’s more? Get protesters killed or harassed for protesting over this.
Me: You mean they’ve been harassing and killing protesters?
Militant: You really have no idea what has been going on here, do you? Decades ago, one of our oil-rich communities protested against the effects of gas flaring from Shell’s activities in the area. They had to be changing their roofs and zincs yearly because of the effects of carbon, not to mention the skin diseases and other health hazards. Their just protest wasn’t met with any mediatory effort on the part of the company, rather the police were brought in and the “Iko Massacre” left about fifty people dead.
Similarly in 1995, the Ogoni people, led by Ken Saro-Wiwa, protested that exploitation by Royal Dutch Shell since 1958 had ravaged our environment, polluting fisheries and farmland. They called for government intervention but what happened in return? The military-led government of General Sani Abacha, despite pleas and condemnation from the international community, summarily executed Saro-Wiwa and his cohorts. Once again, Shell lost a golden opportunity to recreate itself – ending up in the wrong side of history as a company lacking in a community-friendly organizational culture. They sent an “observer” to witness the hanging. Since then, our people have been slaughtered in the course of military incursions executed by soldiers sent in by government to guard the robbers of our resources.
Me: Do you think more fighting, sabotage and resentment will help matters?
Militant: I sincerely don’t think so, but what options do we have? If we don’t fight, how can we call the world’s attention to join us in demanding environmental and socio-economic justice, and total liberation of our people?
Keeping quiet only encourages more pollution. That won’t be nice as I personally have already lost my fishing nets used to trap fish in the river along with a night’s catch from the most recent river pollution. I don’t expect any harvests either later this year from my cassava farm which was also affected.
Clean water too is scarce. When we drink what we find, it gives us pain. It worries us; it’s no good. We just manage. We want better water.
Me: If you were to meet with world leaders who could positively influence your situation, how would you utilize that opportunity to bring your people the justice and liberty you claim to seek?
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Writer Profile
Terhemba Aindigh
Terhemba Aindigh is currently with the Nigerian National Youth Service Corps. Having obtained a first degree in International Relations at Covenant University, Nigeria, with a flair for writing professionally, Terhemba enjoys making commentaries on issues that command worldwide relevance.
His essays have earned him an enviable reputation both nationally and internationally. Some of his writings have ensured his active participation in international conferences like the prestigious St. Gallen Symposium, South American Business Forum, and the Model World Trade Organization. He has also been awarded for exceptional writing by the World Bank and the World Federation of United Nations' Associations.
Most recently, Terhemba was announced as one of the 15 winners of an international essay, video and poster competition sponsored by the World Federation of United Nations Associations. This ensured his participation in the Students for a Nuclear Weapons-Free World Seminar, held at the United Nations Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland. Consequently, he and the other winners were inspired to birth a global anti-nuclear weapons youth network.
As a founding member of the Students for a Nuclear Weapons-Free World Youth Initiative, Terhemba and his colleagues have taken up the immense responsibility to help in realizing a world free of nuclear weapons.
At present, he is doing what he loves to do best: writing more essays to compete in the likes of the Japanese Foreign Trade Council and Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library essay competitions, amongst others.
His ultimate ambition is to attain the heights of great men like Kofi Annan, who have made no little contribution to ensuring that our world is peaceful and just.
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Comments
Parker | Jul 3rd, 2007
Fantastic interview! It was disturbingly informative and shed a whole new light, albeit a disappointing one, on an issue that is so well concealed and supressed in western media. Great job!
meddahi | Aug 15th, 2007
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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم والصلاة والسلام على إمام المرسلين وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين..أما بعـد إنـني غاضب جــدا جــدا لأن هذه المعوقات التي تريد أن توقف مسيرتي الأدبية من شدة الفـقـر والحرمان اللذان أعيش فيهما إنهما ليعيقان مسيرة الشعرية التي ستفيد الإنسانية جمعاء بإنشاءاته الإبداعية المتشعبة الأطراف... بـيـنما أنا أنــقـح قصيدة جديدة وأنتم بحكم ثقافتكم تعلمون أن العالم أو الأديب أو الشاعر يحتاج إلى الهدوء والراحة الجسمية والمعنوية وحتى الظروف المالية .. لكي يستطيع أن ينتج أدبا رفيعا يفــيـد الإنسانية جمعاء بإنشاءاته الإبداعية المتشعبة الأطراف... إذا بأمي المكرمة تعنفـني تعنيفا كبيرا لم تحتمله نفسي وأنتم تعلمون نفسية الشاعر الحساسة إلى أقصى حدودها المترامية ............... فقلت لها إنني أعمل من خلال قصيدتي التي أتمم أجزاءها بردار خيالي من أمكنة بعيدة لا يدرك كنهها إلا من أتاهم الله تعالى يصيرة شفافة وإنه عملٌ فكريٌّ لا يستطيعه إلا أولي الأحلام و النهى ولا يفهمه إلا ذوي الألباب الناضجة فهذا العمل ليس ككل الأعمال اليدوية البسيطة التي يستطيعها أي إنسان بعد خبرة قليلة فقالت لي بكل سخرية واستهجان إنك تهــذي.. إن هـذا الأدب الي أنت تُزاوله لا يجني عليك من المال شيئا ولا من جاها......... بل أنت تضيع وقتك هباء منثورا بينما أبوك يعمل ليصرف عليك فقلت لها يا أماه يا أماه يجب أن تفهمي مرادي البعيد وسيأتي اليوم الذي ستفهمين فيه قصديَ النبيل أنــــت لا تدركــين بُعـد عـملي الفكري هذا ولا غيرك من الناس الذين لا يؤمنون إلا بالمادة التي هم يتنعمون بها دون أن يُــؤدوا شكرها اللازم لأن المولى عز وجل قد سخرها لهم في هذه الحياة الدنيا الفانية فإن هذا الأدب الذي أنا أضحي ليلا ونهارا من أجله قد حباني الله تعالى به دون أن أدرس في كبريات الجامعات لله الحمد والمنة ………………. إنه عمل جليل يشرفك ويشرف أبي الذي هو يرعى هذه الموهبة الـفــذة و يشرف وطــني العزيز و الأمة الإسلامية جميعا فقالت إن الله تعالى لا ينزل عليك من السماء كنزا إذا لم تعمل في الأعمال اليدوية ستصاب بالفقر الذي سيدفعك إلى التسول يوما من الأيام ........... نعم إن أمي تبني أحكامها على الأوضاع الجارية في الأمة العربية والإسلامية ................. وتلك الأحكام منطقية إلى أبعد الحدود ..... فكم من الأدباء تشردوا وكم من الأدباء أصابهم اليأس والقــنوط من جراء التخلف والتشرذم الذي يجري حولهم ولكن تلك العهود قد مضت ولله الحمد ونحن نرى بشائر الرقي والازدهار بادية لكل من كان له قلب أو ألـقى الســمع وهــو شهـيـد ....... ولكن لا نلوم بعض الناس لأن عقولهم لا تدرك الإرهاصات المستقبلية ببعض العوامل التي تراها في الحاضر ........... وما أضيق الحياة لولا فُسحة الأمل ... ..آلمتـني كلماتها القاسية التي نزلت على قلبي كالصاعقة المحرقة التي تحرق من القلب الرهيف كل آماله وأحلامه التي كان يحلم بها طوال السنين القاسية وأضافت إلى أسماعي كلمات أخرى بكل برودة وقالت إن هؤلاء الذين يذيعون قصائدك لمَ لم يساعدوك حتى الآن لكي تكمل مسيرتك الأدبية التي تدعيها فقلت لها يا أمي كل شيء في أوانه ينضج إنني أتألم إن وجداني ينفجر من شدة الغضب لماذا أولئك الذين لا يملكون من الكفاءات إلا الشيء القليل نراهم يكرمون ويبجلون أمام أعيننا أما نحن الشعراء نعيش وسط الحرمان والفقر المدقع لماذا لماذا وألف لماذا إنني أستنكر هذا الإهمال هذه الشريحة التي تمهد لمستقبل زاهر تتنعم فيه البشرية بالأمن والسلام والمحبة الصادقة .......... لماذا هذه اللامبــلات التي طال زمانها ..أنظروا إلى الغرب كيف تقدم لأنهم يقدرون المواهب الإبداعية في أي مجال كان، لكي يُثروا مجتمعاتهم بالأشياء النافعة التي تعود على المجتمع بالخير والرفاهية الكبيرين لماذا نهين العقول الناضجة ونكرم العقول البائسة التي لا تنتج إلا بعض التفاهات التي لا تُسمن ولا تغني من جوع ..إنني أتألم وإن وجداني ليبكي من شدة هذه الإهانات المتعددة التي تنهال علي من حين لآخر كأمثال الحجارة الصماء التي لا تسمع ولا تــنـفع ..لماذا لا تنشؤون صندوقا خاصا بالمبدعين الذين يثبتون للساحة الأدبية أنهم قادرون على الإبداع و الإختراع والإنتاج سواء الإنتاج الفكر أو اليدوي المتوفر في كل مكان عكس الإنتاج الفكري النادر لأنه يعتمد على الموهبة المُعطاة التي تغــــــــوص في بحر التجارب لتكتسب المعرفة العميقة تلك المواهب التي تكتسب بعد سنوات من الجهد المضني المرير شخصـــــــــــية قــــــــوية لا تقـتـلعها حتى أعـتا الأعاصير المدمرة هذه الشخصية التي تحقق أهدافها بإذن ربها العلي العظيم لأن أهدافها سامية ونبيلة لا ينكرها أحد من الناس العقـلاء إنها تؤثرة في المجتمعات تأثيرا إيجابيا لأنها تعي ما تقول وما تفعل لا تندفع وراء الحماسة الزائدة التي تسبب آلاما للأمة العربية والإسلامية تزيد من أزماتها المعـددة التي هي بغنى عنها وخصوصا في هذه الظروف المحزنة التي تمر عليها الإنسانية جمعاء ... ولكن الخير آت آت آت إن شاء الله تعالى فلها من الحكمة الواعية التي تضع كل شيء في محله الذي يليق به.. إن هذا العصر الذي نوجد فيه لقد انبثقت فيه معظم العبقريات الكبيرة التي أثبتت وجودها بكل فاعلية ولكنها لا تلقى الرعاية الكاملة التي تحتفظ بهذه العقول التي تنفع البشرية جميعا ....؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟............؟ من أخوكم المعذب في الأرض الشاعر العصامي مداحي العيد من الجزائر الحبيبة إلى قلوبنا جميعا
meddahi | Aug 15th, 2007 [x]
MERCIFUL peace and prayers be on the senders and the machine owners and all .. After I am very, very angry because these constraints that want to stop my life literary The severity of poverty and deprivation in which they lived, which hinders the march of poetry that will benefit all mankind Banchaeath creative branched parties ... While I revise a new poem and you know that the ex Thagawickam world or writer or poet needs to be calm and relaxed physical, moral and even financial circumstances .. In order to be able to produce literature High benefit humanity Banchaeath creative branched parties ... If Pamy Mecca Tanfani Taneva not significantly unbearable myself and you know psychological poet sensitive to the limits vast ............... I told them that I am working through Gosaidti which Transact Brdar imaginary parts of the places far not only aware of essences Wrath of God Isaireh transparent He also worked for reconsideration first goal only dreams and Prevention nor understood only with mature minds. It is not a whole handicraft simple can in any human being yet little experience Li said both ironic and deploring you Theve .. This literature to you do you practice you do not reap money from nothing prestige ......... But you wasted your time squander your father worked for a while you spend I told them you Amah Amah you must run, I understand Moradi day will come when my noble Stphmin You Do you not yet practical intellectual in this crowd of people who believe not only that article are Itnamon without thanks to perform necessary because God Almighty has marshalled them in this mortal life This literature which I became a day and night in which he addressed to me may God by without studying in the major universities thankfully, the best ... ... ... ... ... .... That work Jalil Echervk oversees Abe who is a sponsor of this inimitable talent and oversees national Aziz and the Islamic Ummah all She said that God does not descend from the sky, you treasure if they do not operate in manual jobs will be hit by poverty, which will push you to begging Days ........... Yes, that my mother built its case on the current situation in the Arab and Islamic nation ................. Those provisions logical extremely ..... How many literary displaced How many writers and despair suffered as a result of underdevelopment and the fragmentation that was happening around them But those times have passed, thankfully, we see positive signs of progress and prosperity displaying each have a heart or hearing a martyr ....... But do not blame some people do not realize that their minds precursors future Some of the factors that you see in the present ........... The narrower life in the expanse of hope ... .. Matni her harsh blow to my heart thunderbolt Holocaust that burns the heart of every Alerhev hopes and dreams, which he had dreamed for years of harsh Her ears to the words of another All cooling She said that those who advertise Kassaedk It did not help you until now to complement it gives moral course I told them my mother everything in premature ripens I am hurt that emotional burst of intense anger Why Those who do not have the skills, very little We see them honored and have revered Before our eyes As poets we live amid deprivation and extreme poverty Why, why and why A. I deplore this neglect of this tranche, which will pave the way for a bright future Ttnam human security and peace and love and sincere .......... Why this Allamblatt long time .. Look at how the West provided they appreciate the creative talent in any field was so enriched their objects beneficial to society and the well-being of the great minds mature Why humiliate honoring minds miserable not only produce some platitudes that do not protect fatten or hunger .. I am hurt and emotional cry of the severity of these multiple insults heaped upon from time to time Like unto stones dumb not hear no avail .. Why not Tencion special fund creators who prove to the literary arena they are capable of creativity and invention Both production and production of thought or manual Available everywhere in reverse intellectual production rare because it depends on the talent given by Sank in the Sea of tests to gain deep knowledge of those talents acquired after years of painstaking effort bitter strong personal Tuguetlaha not even Atta devastating hurricanes These personal permission achieve its objectives because the Lord Almighty objectives and lofty undeniably one of the people Sensible It preferences positive impact in the communities because they understand what it says and do not go beyond the euphoria which cause suffering to the Arab and Islamic nation further crises that are listed unnecessary, especially In these sad circumstances with the whole of humanity ... But goodness AT AT tires that, God willing, It may be prudent to develop conscious everything in place that it deserves .. That era find it has emerged how ingenious the most significant proved themselves both effective, but do not receive full care they retain minds that benefit all humankind ....???????????????? ?............? Your brother of the martyred poet in the land of self-reliant Mdahi feast Algeria beloved to all our hearts
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