March 5, 2010
My legacy, I hope, would be that I become the most successful Nigerian in the upstream and even in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry. I will leave behind tangible assets in the form of finance as well as petrol chemical plants operating beyond and after me.(Theophilus Danjuma).
He was the quintessential Minister of Defence when Olusegun Obasanjo was sworn in as President in his first term in 1999.Danjuma is no doubt one of Nigeria finest officer, one of the best of the Middle belt and a very principled man.
There is no doubt that at this defining moments in Nigeria's history,God in his infinite mercy has comfounded all sooth sayers and doom seekers by splashing on us as a Nation GOODLUCK; Goodluck; as Acting President when we thought marshal music was looming as in Niger and now Good luck as been spalshed on the less priviledge by a GOOD MAN .I will explain later why General T Danjuma is a good man.
Good luck is the willing handmaid of a upright and energetic character, and conscientious observance of duty. This is how best I can describe Theophilus Danjuma. At times I wounder why I havent been fortunate to call such men as my Principal, maybe such men would have been different.I remember kneeling down and prayed to God this short but powerful prayer and petition,May Good luck be my friend in whatever I do and may trouble be always a stranger to me.
How else can I reconcile Danjuma's story when he told a beweird and stunned audience that when he made $500 million in an Oil deal he didnt know what to do with the money.Gosh!He had explained that he sold his oil well for $1billion dollars and after paying tax and settle personal issues he had $500million free to him.Christ!
Nigeria as a country ,we all know has a loose tax system regime. Even if he did pay tax , lets imagine he paid a maximum of $150 million dollars tax, tell me what personal issues he solved with $350, million dollars? Hmmmm! There are certain things that need not said even if they are right.Things that can breed bad blood and cause disaffection.Issues that can overheat the polity.I can be a fool and be your slave without really knowing I am your fool and slave, but the moment you say to me ,you fool,you slave, you idiot, then the wool in my eyes will fall off and rebellion will set in.Nigerians will recall that the kaima declaration that led to armed struggle in the Niger delta region didnt come not until the One million man march for Abacha during his self serving rally in Abuja, where kenny martins and Co, inclucluding Oga Ibori mobilized a lot Niger deltans whom hitherto hasnt been to Abuja before, on seeing Abuja realised that they were slaves in the contraception called Nigeria and for the first time I recalled vividly as George Owel's claasical ANIMAL FARM ,became scarce in book stores as all well meaning Niger Deltans bought the book off the shelf to read and dissect the prhase; ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL, BUT SOME ARE MORE EQUAL THAN THE OTHER! After the Abacha jamboree,Nigeria murdered sleep and sleep we have slept no more.I pray and hope that now that Militants know the officilal price of an Oil block it wount affect the Amnesty deal and promote further unrest. Pundits may ask,whats my buisneess? but if I may ask how many indegenes of the Niger delta can boast of one Oil well?How many Niger deltans can boast openly that they have $100 in their bank account but dont know what to do with it? There is no doubt that the Niger delta ,the goose that Lays the golden egg is left unfettered, tattered and neglected.Key environmental issues in the Niger Delta of Nigeria relate to its petroleum industry.The delta covers 20,000 km² within wetlands of 70,000 km² formed primarily by sediment deposition. Home to 20 million people and 40 different ethnic groups, this floodplain makes up 7.5% of Nigeria's total land mass. It is the largest wetland and maintains the third-largest drainage basin in Africa. The Delta's environment can be broken down into four ecological zones: coastal barrier islands, mangrove swamp forests, freshwater swamps, and lowland rainforests. This incredibly well-endowed ecosystem, which contains one of the highest concentrations of biodiversity on the planet, in addition to supporting abundant flora and fauna, arable terrain that can sustain a wide variety of crops, lumber or agricultural trees, and more species of freshwater fish than any ecosystem in West Africa. The region could experience a loss of 40% of its inhabitable terrain in the next thirty years as a result of extensive dam construction in the region. The carelessness of the oil industry has also precipitated this situation, which can perhaps be best encapsulated by a 1983 report issued by the NNPC in 1983, long before popular unrest surfaced. The aformentioned isnt a misnomer or distortion of fact, but a reality.
Impact of oil exploitation on the environment, due to ecological and enviromental degredation are but not limited to; Oil spills,Impacts on mangrove forests,Impacts on fisheries,Water Hyacinth, Natural gas flaring,e.t.c.
That the Niger Delta and her creeks are underdeveloped is no longer news, what is news is the insult upon the injury that the Niger deltans are been subjected to. Nigeria can survive ,depend,develope on the oil from the Niger Delta but a Niger Deltan Good Luck Jonathan cannot be President. Theophilus Danjuma sells one Oil block for $1billion dollars.What a travesty of justice,what a display of perfidy and arrant arrogance. If we take stock of what $1billion will do for Niger Deltans, in the area of social infracstructures you will be amazed.
Above all I praise and slaute Theophilus Danjuma. He is a true statesman and a generous Nigerian. His courage is rare and must be applauded by all men of goodwill and cynics alike. Theophilus Danjuma is a poor man compared to the Bucanneers that have hijacked Nigeria from independence to date.These Mafias and Cabal has unspecified number of Oil wells and have sold all the ailing parastatals to themselves and cronies. No one, not even one of them did come out to say; I have seen an oil well talkless of making $500 million as left overs. Tell me which of this Nigerian mafias and goverment owners has ever brought out $100million (N1.5billion naira) to serve the cause of the less priviledge? None, not even one ,has done it. If this funds from a blessed and well endowned personality like General T Danjuma is well utilised, there is no gain saying that thousands of Nigerians will be better for it. I urge the Kind and thoughtful General Danjuma to please ensure that the calibre of men and women running the foundation will utilize these funds judiciuously and emphasis must be given to Niger deltans living inside the creeks whom are completely hopeless in the area of primary Medicare and Education.If these is done your name will be forever written in Gold.
For me General T Danjuma's effort is appreciated and should be noted as such.
Garrick kehinde Osemwengie Kings.
Politician/Public Afairs Analyst.
Theophilus Danjuma is reputedly the owner of South Atlantic Petroleum, a major stakeholder in the Akpo oil and gas field off the coast of Nigeria. Concurrently Danjuma is a major benefactor of the oil-field's $2.3 bn sale to China's largest offshore oil producer, CNOOC, in January 2006.General Theophilus Danjuma is an extremely influential Nigerian soldier and politician, regarded as a hero for his role during and after the Biafran War under the first miltarily-installed government of General Jack Yakubu Gowon.
He was the quintessential Minister of Defence when Olusegun Obasanjo was sworn in as President in his first term in 1999.Danjuma is no doubt one of Nigeria finest officer, one of the best of the Middle belt and a very principled man.
There is no doubt that at this defining moments in Nigeria's history,God in his infinite mercy has comfounded all sooth sayers and doom seekers by splashing on us as a Nation GOODLUCK; Goodluck; as Acting President when we thought marshal music was looming as in Niger and now Good luck as been spalshed on the less priviledge by a GOOD MAN .I will explain later why General T Danjuma is a good man.
Good luck is the willing handmaid of a upright and energetic character, and conscientious observance of duty. This is how best I can describe Theophilus Danjuma. At times I wounder why I havent been fortunate to call such men as my Principal, maybe such men would have been different.I remember kneeling down and prayed to God this short but powerful prayer and petition,May Good luck be my friend in whatever I do and may trouble be always a stranger to me.
How else can I reconcile Danjuma's story when he told a beweird and stunned audience that when he made $500 million in an Oil deal he didnt know what to do with the money.Gosh!He had explained that he sold his oil well for $1billion dollars and after paying tax and settle personal issues he had $500million free to him.Christ!
Nigeria as a country ,we all know has a loose tax system regime. Even if he did pay tax , lets imagine he paid a maximum of $150 million dollars tax, tell me what personal issues he solved with $350, million dollars? Hmmmm! There are certain things that need not said even if they are right.Things that can breed bad blood and cause disaffection.Issues that can overheat the polity.I can be a fool and be your slave without really knowing I am your fool and slave, but the moment you say to me ,you fool,you slave, you idiot, then the wool in my eyes will fall off and rebellion will set in.Nigerians will recall that the kaima declaration that led to armed struggle in the Niger delta region didnt come not until the One million man march for Abacha during his self serving rally in Abuja, where kenny martins and Co, inclucluding Oga Ibori mobilized a lot Niger deltans whom hitherto hasnt been to Abuja before, on seeing Abuja realised that they were slaves in the contraception called Nigeria and for the first time I recalled vividly as George Owel's claasical ANIMAL FARM ,became scarce in book stores as all well meaning Niger Deltans bought the book off the shelf to read and dissect the prhase; ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL, BUT SOME ARE MORE EQUAL THAN THE OTHER! After the Abacha jamboree,Nigeria murdered sleep and sleep we have slept no more.I pray and hope that now that Militants know the officilal price of an Oil block it wount affect the Amnesty deal and promote further unrest. Pundits may ask,whats my buisneess? but if I may ask how many indegenes of the Niger delta can boast of one Oil well?How many Niger deltans can boast openly that they have $100 in their bank account but dont know what to do with it? There is no doubt that the Niger delta ,the goose that Lays the golden egg is left unfettered, tattered and neglected.Key environmental issues in the Niger Delta of Nigeria relate to its petroleum industry.The delta covers 20,000 km² within wetlands of 70,000 km² formed primarily by sediment deposition. Home to 20 million people and 40 different ethnic groups, this floodplain makes up 7.5% of Nigeria's total land mass. It is the largest wetland and maintains the third-largest drainage basin in Africa. The Delta's environment can be broken down into four ecological zones: coastal barrier islands, mangrove swamp forests, freshwater swamps, and lowland rainforests. This incredibly well-endowed ecosystem, which contains one of the highest concentrations of biodiversity on the planet, in addition to supporting abundant flora and fauna, arable terrain that can sustain a wide variety of crops, lumber or agricultural trees, and more species of freshwater fish than any ecosystem in West Africa. The region could experience a loss of 40% of its inhabitable terrain in the next thirty years as a result of extensive dam construction in the region. The carelessness of the oil industry has also precipitated this situation, which can perhaps be best encapsulated by a 1983 report issued by the NNPC in 1983, long before popular unrest surfaced. The aformentioned isnt a misnomer or distortion of fact, but a reality.
Impact of oil exploitation on the environment, due to ecological and enviromental degredation are but not limited to; Oil spills,Impacts on mangrove forests,Impacts on fisheries,Water Hyacinth, Natural gas flaring,e.t.c.
That the Niger Delta and her creeks are underdeveloped is no longer news, what is news is the insult upon the injury that the Niger deltans are been subjected to. Nigeria can survive ,depend,develope on the oil from the Niger Delta but a Niger Deltan Good Luck Jonathan cannot be President. Theophilus Danjuma sells one Oil block for $1billion dollars.What a travesty of justice,what a display of perfidy and arrant arrogance. If we take stock of what $1billion will do for Niger Deltans, in the area of social infracstructures you will be amazed.
Above all I praise and slaute Theophilus Danjuma. He is a true statesman and a generous Nigerian. His courage is rare and must be applauded by all men of goodwill and cynics alike. Theophilus Danjuma is a poor man compared to the Bucanneers that have hijacked Nigeria from independence to date.These Mafias and Cabal has unspecified number of Oil wells and have sold all the ailing parastatals to themselves and cronies. No one, not even one of them did come out to say; I have seen an oil well talkless of making $500 million as left overs. Tell me which of this Nigerian mafias and goverment owners has ever brought out $100million (N1.5billion naira) to serve the cause of the less priviledge? None, not even one ,has done it. If this funds from a blessed and well endowned personality like General T Danjuma is well utilised, there is no gain saying that thousands of Nigerians will be better for it. I urge the Kind and thoughtful General Danjuma to please ensure that the calibre of men and women running the foundation will utilize these funds judiciuously and emphasis must be given to Niger deltans living inside the creeks whom are completely hopeless in the area of primary Medicare and Education.If these is done your name will be forever written in Gold.
For me General T Danjuma's effort is appreciated and should be noted as such.
Garrick kehinde Osemwengie Kings.
Politician/Public Afairs Analyst.
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