The incessant kidnapping of foreign oil workers in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria by the militia especially MEND (Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger-Delta) is an epitome of an unfinished business and colossal negligence of the people of Nigeria by the various governments that has ruled the nation. Nigeria is the most populous African nation, and Africa’s largest producer of oil. It has remained an unfathomable irony that with the massive oil revenue, an average Nigerian still lives in squalor with less than two US dollar (US$2.00) a day.

With the huge oil wealth earned by the nation, Nigeria is supposed to be developed more than what it is today. With huge unemployment rate, debts (the outgoing regime of Obasanjo incurred $3.2 billion debt), and lack of infrastructures – good roads, electricity, hospitals, pipe borne water, industries and total negligence of the rural areas; one would wonder where has the petro- naira wealth gone to? Definitely, the wealth is shared among the few that ruled the nation and their collaborators (foreign and local).

The trouble at the Niger Delta began in the late 1980’s as various youth groups started agitating for employment and contracts from the oil companies. Similar to various rural areas in Nigeria, the Niger Delta villages are without government presence in terms of job provision and economic empowerment. With the deteriorating economic situation and itching poverty that plagued the Nigerian families especially those in the rural areas many of them where unable to send their children to primary schools not to talk of universities. This significantly disqualified them from applying and not to talk of obtaining jobs from the oil companies whose requirement for employment was for candidate to have first class honors or summa cum laude. While these rural youths were unable to obtain the high profile jobs, some of the oil companies contracted out the provision of unskilled labor to vendors who were either connected to the government or claimed to represent their community while they were only out to satisfy themselves to the detriment of their people.

Those in power in Nigeria were busy enriching themselves with the oil proceeds, building strong relationship with the oil companies and never cared to look into the plight of their people especially were it concerns building industries, schools, roads, providing electricity and good drinking water in the rural areas. It is proper to emphasize that some of the oil companies tried in their various social objectives to assist various communities in the Niger-Delta, but one of their major mistake was to rely more in building business relationship with some dubious elements that ruled the country and not creating synergy with the communities the operated. Most of the time the oil companies prefered to deal with lobbyists - the so called community leaders that claimed to represents the communities, bribing them with huge sum of money and at the end incurring the wrath of the people who remained with nothing.

This year alone about 100 foreign oil workers have been kidnapped in the turbulent Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Among the oil workers abducted, 13 are still under captivity. What started microscopically in the late 1980’s as protest whereby youths from the oil producing towns will carry placards and block the gates of oil companies demanding for jobs and contracts, continued to grow in turbulence from where youths would go to flow stations and rigs and disrupt operations of the oil companies and to what has escalated into militants attacking, bombing oil facilities and kidnapping foreign oil workers for a ransom. While this growth of agitation and dissatisfaction was shown by the youths of this various NigerDelta areas was culminating, the Nigerian government unable to find resourceful ways to nip it at the bud, control, pacify and fairly do what was right for the nation, the oil companies and the under-developed Niger-Delta whose environment has significantly been affected by the oil exploration and production operations.

The increasing rate of kidnapping of oil workers in the Niger-Delta does not only speak of the desire of the people in that area to have control over their resources, it shows a spiral effect of utter negligence by the various Nigerian governments to develop the nation thereby making the people to rise and take laws in their hand, however, the approach may be wrong. It also epitomizes a hungry people who lack meaningful way to eke a living. If there are to be industries and firms to employ this youths and they have gainful employment from where their daily needs will be catered for; those militants won’t be seen snaking around the creeks. If there are to be provision of free education, quality and subsidized educational system, most of the youths will prefer to stay in citadels of intellectualism and drink from the fountain of knowledge which will afford them better live. To show what poverty and hunger has to do with the various kidnapping in the Niger Delta; it is common that many of those kidnapped in the Delta are seized by armed gangs who demand for ransom and often release their victims unharmed once they receive payment.

The kidnapping of foreign oil workers in Nigeria is affecting the production of oil in the country and will seriously hamper its economy. Oil is the main base of the Nigerian economy and many oil companies are pulling out and stopping operations in the Delta region. The same problem is affecting the world oil market where Nigeria is a major player and the producer of Bonny light crude oil which is the best in the world. The price of oil per barrel is now up to $70.00.

The ever brewing storm in the Niger Delta is affecting the international image of Nigeria and deterring serious investors from moving into Nigeria. Coupled with the just concluded presidential election which was riddled with various irregularities many foreign investors are still worried and uncertain if a new government will be able to take over office on May 29, and what will be the direction of the new government if it ever comes into place. Recently, the Nigerian government auctioned 45 oil exploration licenses, but had little or no big Western Oil firms in the bidding. The bidding lacked luster, was dominated by mostly Chinese, Indian and small, emerging, local oil companies.

Therefore, if Yar’Adua the president-elect successfully assumes office on May 29, the problem at the Niger Delta and the general development of Nigerian rural areas need to be of priority to his government. He must endeavor to give Nigeria a new face as a nation ready to improve the standard of living of his people, while promoting peace, law and order.