Afolabi Adedeji is a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers(NSE).In this piece,he examines the level of environmental degredation in the Niger-Delta Region.
Preamble:
Energy in general and that sourced from Hydrocarbon Fuels (Petrol, Diesel, Kerosene, Liquefied Natural Gas, various Oils & Greases utilized as Lubricants, etc.) in particular have become increasingly important over the last 100 years for sustaining Transportation Networks, Industrial Development, keeping people warm in Temperate Climates (Northern Hemisphere Countries), driving Military Hardware on the Land, Sea, and in the Air, etc.
Despite all the “hype” about the discovery of SHALE OIL from Rocks by some of the major Buyers of Crude Oil and the threat, which this poses to Members of the OPEC Cartel, i.e. the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, including Nigeria, those ‘in – the – KNOW’ have said “no SHAKIN”, (‘Ba Damu’ in the Hausa Language spoken widely in Northern Nigeria) . . . because of the very high cost of extracting Shale Oil as well as the near astronomical environmental costs associated with it, unless and until the process is further perfected!
Little wonder then that wars have been fought and regime changes effected, because of energy sources, and the protection of routes (over land & sea) by which this vital product is transported to the end users whether in its crude form or refined state.
Suspected examples of the foregoing are the “Annexation” of Kuwait by late Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein, followed by Gulf War I when Mr. George Bush, Snr., was President of the U.S.A., allegations of the amassing of ‘WMDs’ (i.e. Weapons of Mass Destruction) against Saddam Hussein and Gulf War II when Mr. George Bush, Jnr. was President of the U.S.A. with active support from the Western Allies notable among whom was Great Britain when Mr. Tony Blair was Prime Minister.
Nearer us in the African Union, people are wondering whether Egypt is a regular recipient of such generous military aid from the United States of America, because of the former’s control of the Suez Canal a vital Sea Route and “short – cut” for maritime transportation especially merchant vessels and oil tankers from the oil rich Middle-East countries (comparable to the Panama Canal on the American Continent).
