Akashma Online News

Posted on December 09, 2012 by Akashma Online News
source Vanguard

Hawkins, who was accompanied by the Public Affairs Officer in the Consulate, Mrs. Dehab Ghebreab and Information Specialist Broadcast Media, Mrs. Joke Omotunde, said there were strong ties between Nigeria and the US especially in areas of security, education, cultural exchanges, military training and collaboration in regional and continental conflict resolution.

He said: “Nigeria is a huge country and you do not fully understand the country until you are inside it. The country has enormous energy which is found in the diversity of its people, who are very humorous.

The country has vast landmass and each area has something unique about it. We recognize Nigeria as the giant of Africa because of the size of the country in population, economy, the media and sustenance of democracy.”

Death, oil and religion: the origins of conflict in Nigeria run deep

The north of the country has been torn apart by terrorist attacks that saw police stations bombed, cars torched and the streets littered with bodies. More than 200 people have died so far in January alone.

How could a nation so rich in resources descend into such turmoil? The answer lies in a history of ethnic, religious and political fault-lines that go back centuries. The Conversation

He said the US recognized Nigeria’s leadership role in Africa, adding that the country was equally a strong player in global affairs.

According to the envoy, foreigners to Nigeria tended to see more of the positive sides than the areas of irritations that Nigerians complained of.

Hawkins said his visit to Vanguard was part of his familiarization tour of the Nigerian media landscape, to understand the working of the media in Nigeria and the challenges of implementing the Freedom of Information Act.

Largely, Nigeria’s poor image does not arise from government’s irresponsible behavior but from those of Nigerians! It is the ordinary Nigerian who litters the streets with trash. It is the ordinary Nigerian taxi or bus driver who gives out twenty naira to policemen instead of getting all his vehicle papers right. It is the ordinary Nigerian who shunts queues at filling stations, banks, or wherever order is required. to the consternation of the rest of us. It is the ordinary Nigerian who vandalizes NEPA property, NNPC pipeline or other public property, thus disrupting the meagre services the rest of us should receive from these sources. Yet it is the ordinary Nigerian who blames government most for all his woes. It is the ordinary Nigerian who creates bad publicity for this country, but it is the government that takes the blame. I am sad at this irony. Nigeria Media-Nigeria’s Image

The US team was received by the Editor, Mr. Mdeno Bayagbon; Deputy Editor, Mr. Eze Anaba; Foreign Affairs Editor, Mr. Hugo Odiogor; Business Editor, Mr. Omoh Gabriel; Political Editor, Emmanuel Aziken; and Corporate Affairs Manager, Mr. Victor Omoregie.

In his welcome remarks, Bayabgon told the envoy that Vanguard as a newspaper had been very supportive of the activities of the US mission in Nigeria. He commended the Consulate for finding positive lights with which to promote social and economic relations between the two countries.

According to the Editor, it is worth commending that the US ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Terrance McCaulley, was presently on a four-city tour in US to educate Americans on the process of “Doing Business in Nigeria.”

He said that is a measure of the confidence that the US mission has in Nigeria, regardless of the security challenges facing the country now.

Nigeria is currently our 23rd largest goods trading partner with $38.6 billion in total (two way) goods trade during 2011. Goods exports totaled $4.8 billion; Goods imports totaled $33.7 billion. The U.S. goods trade deficit with Nigeria was $28.9 billion in 2011. Office of the US Trade

Nigeria booming illegal Oil Refineries – BBC Special

Oil spill on an illegal Oil Refinery in Nigeria

“Almost 400 people work here and every night we produce around 11,000 litres of diesel,” said 32-year-old Edward, adding that his elder brothers had learnt all about the business in Bakassi, near the Cameroonian border with Nigeria.

“For us we lose somewhere between 40,000 and 60,000 barrels a day to crude theft and this is only what is lost in the metered sections of our pipeline. The large proportion we think ends up in refineries around the world.”

The oil companies’ hands are tied, as they do not have the power to arrest anyone or to intervene.

They have to rely on the military response, which is clearly ineffective.

I think this is the closest the regular citizen can get to take advantage of the wealth of their country. The Foreign Oil companies and the leaders of Nigeria had always been the big winners in this Oil Business. The Theft of the oil from the Official pipe lines are done without regard of the environment.