Is finding oil ever a good thing?

I am going to write about an absurdity. Wouldn’t you think that when oil is found in a country, that country will become rich and the future of its citizens will be secured forever?

Well, that is what you would think. But Africans are afraid of oil.

Following the news that oil had been found in northwestern Kenya, in the Turkana area, Diasporadical.com (a very recommendable blog by a group of Kenyan writers) expressed serious concern about it: http://diasporadical.com/2012/03/26/turkanaoil-is-finding-oil-ever-a-good-thing/

"Out of sheer curiosity, when has finding oil in an African country EVER been a good thing?"

Diasporadical suspects that although the oil will boost economy, it will also leave Kenya at prey for Western influence. And corruption will reap the economic benefits:

"Ignoring the obvious western influence – you know, how certain countries may decide that it’s the right time to attack certain terrorist groups as they drill and pump our mother Kenya shamelessly – there’s a more…local threat. Our government is a lot more shameless than those aforementioned warmongers. If we found 3 billion barrels worth for example, it’s safe to assume we’d only report 2 and only sell one, and 70% of that money would get lost through some nimble accounting.

I’m not proclaiming to be some sort of expert. Far from it. All I do is read books and occasionally watch the news. And from that cursory stance, the history of abuse of natural resources and the violence that follows the discovery of such seems like great cause for concern."

The comments for Diasporadical’s blog are worth reading, for example this one:

"I wish (fervently) that we will not end up like our brothers and sisters in Nigeria and Angola. I don’t know how Ghana is fairing, it may take a few years to see the effects of oil there but preliminary reports: not so good.

I get the trepidation, after all western multi-nationals and China (check Sudan) swoop in knowing we have weak checks and balances in our governments and very corrupt officials, much to the detriment of African citizens. BUT, let us not be defeatist. Kenya is a country with a reasonably well educated population, it is our raia duty to look out for our brothers and sisters in Turkana and make sure they are not taken advantage of, our environment is not degraded and the money is well spent.

Is this not what we have been screaming about during this whole #kony2012 scenario? Give us a chance to change ourselves before you pretty white boys come and “save” us? Well here is our chance." (by Chepng'eno)

Too often, oil has meant violence and destruction of nature. We all love nature. But for subsistence farmers in developing countries, the destruction of natural environment will literally mean that there will be no food or water.

For example, Angola and Nigeria have oil – are they rich and peaceful countries? No, they are poor. In Angola, civil war lasted for 27 years, and Nigeria… I could write pages about it, but this satirical video Live with it! iPhone app by Friends of the Earth Netherlands says it all in just 2 minutes.

Let us hope this will not happen in Kenya.

I am sorry I am writing about such a sad topic at the beginning of the beautiful Finnish summer. To lighten up this blog, I’ve decided to include a playlist. The idea is stolen from a blog that presented earlier on, Koranteng’s Toli.

• We found love (OIL) in a hopeless place spoof (Turkana dedicated, also found in the Disporadical blog)  
• Salif Keita: Folon (Such a beautiful song, please read the English translation, too. You can find it by scrolling down a bit.) 
• Jukka Poika: Kiitollisuutta /Gratitude (if someone has not heard of Finnish reggae yet, now is a good time to start. Non-Finnish readers, you will miss the great lyrics but can enjoy the rhythm and the voice) 
  
• Suvivirsi / Summer Hymn  (a modern version of probably the most-loved Finnish hymn about summer) 
• Suvivirsi / Summer Hymn (traditional version)

Have a beautiful summer,
Ulla