When the government owns the means of production...
With a country with a proven reserve of 36 billion barrels of oil, and natural gas exports of 7.83 billion cu m, there should be no reason for "desperate people". What exacerbates this is the fact that much of the proceeds from the sale of Nigerian oil is nowhere to be found (well, at least not in the public coffers, anyway).Nigerian Oil Blast Kills Up to 200
Some 200 people are being reported killed in an oil pipeline blast outside Nigeria's capital, Lagos.Friday, May 12, 2006United Press International
As many as 200 people were killed Friday in a Nigerian gasoline pipeline explosion that officials said was apparently set off by vandals siphoning fuel.
The fire from the blast has been extinguished, and Nigerian police officers have secured the Snake Island scene.
Despite the country's oil riches, Nigeria's population is impoverished and people often tap into pipelines crossing their lands to steal fuel for cooking or sale on the black market.
Officials said many of the victims were area residents who rushed to collect fuel spilling out of the pipeline, an action known as scooping, The New York Times reported.
The pipe had been dug out of the sand and bore visible marks of drilling, officials said. Some 500 cans designed to hold gasoline were found nearby and apparently contributed to the fire once it was ignited, according to the Times.
Fuel thefts can easily lead to tragedy because safety is not a concern when people are desperate.
(Filed under world affairs)
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