The incogruity of poverty in the midst of oil wealth

Abstract

Abstract provided by author

Several American and foreign petroleum companies including Chevron, Texaco, and Exxon are active Nigeria. North American companies have never been prohibited from operating in the country. The former British colony is one of the world's largest oil producers, but the industry has produced unwanted side effects. The trade in stolen oil has fuelled violence and corruption in the Niger delta, the home of the industry. Few Nigerians, including those in oilproducing areas, have profited from the oil wealth

Although Nigeria has ratified various international laws and has in place national laws pertaining to corruption, this has not eliminated the problems Nigeria is facing. The paper will aim to look at how the oil trade sectors in Nigeria tend to be unfair towards the less privileged, and to look at who are the people really benefiting from all the wealth because it is quite clear that there is a great imbalance of power between developed and developing countries. In other words, why are countries so rich in oil so poor? This dissertation begins with a history of Nigeria in relation to oil trade in the country and how this industry has devastated not only the environment but also the lives of many Nigerians, the Ogoni tribe in particular. The second chapter will focus on the Ogoni tribe of Nigeria who have suffered countless Human Rights violations because of the lack of rights adequate rights they have. Nigeria at the time was under military rule which is adverse to rule of law through its subordination of the constitution, sacking of the legislature, and stifling of the judiciary. Despite the existence of the Constitution and democratic institutions during civilian regimes, the rule of law provisions remained largely unimplemented. The chapter will also show how the Ogoni have attempted to overcome this difficulty with their own laws. The third chapter will look at the Human Rights aspects, critically examining the law and cases in Nigeria in regard to this matter, this chapter is the longest and the most law oriented chapter and will focus on how laws although in place can tend to be inadequate. The dissertation in conclusion proposes a rule of law version which would guarantee management of resources for human development. It constitutes the following rudiments: supremacy of the law; equality before the law and the like