A French journalist investigated the production and exportation of crude oil from Cameroon. He found out that from production to the time when the oil leaves the country, there are only the oil company workers and security people in charge. They declare how many barrels of oil they produce to the government and pay a fee of about $5 per barrel to the Cameroon government. Crude oil sells at $100 a barrel in the world markets. This $5 per barrel makes up 80% of Cameroon GDP and forms the major revenue for all Cameroon annual budgets.
UK minimum hourly rate of pay for the meanest job is $11 per hour. The price of fuel in UK is $2 per litre and the UK govt takes $1.60 per litre in taxes. The oil companies make do with $0.40 per litre. A litre of engine oil is $2 in UK, in Cameroon, it is $3. We know that these oil companies make billions of pounds in profit each year. That comes from their crude oil not from the price of fuel at the pump. The UK government get the most from the price at the pump. Compare that with price of fuel in Cameroon of $1 per litre.
The Cameroon ministers who negotiated a price of 600 frs back to 595 frs, previously 585 frs, were partly right in trying to do the best in order to increas the revenue of the government. They are appointed on strict condition that they do not look at production of crude oil and taxation in that field. That is the exclusive domain of president Paul Biya and one or two of his closest collaborators whom we do not know and can never know about. These are the most powerful men in Cameroon, not any minister or parliamentarian.
There is only one country I know that refines its own oil, Republic of Venezuela. President Chavez does not beg anyone, including the USA. He stroke a deal to supply petrol to London without consulting the UK prime minister, only the mayor. Now unemployed UK residents get half price public transport. The Cameroon Hydro-carbon Company or anyone interested and with the means to effect change in Cameroon should look to the Republic of Venezuela and President Chavez for transfer of OIL REFINERY TECHNOLOGY.
All the oil companies in the world are super states. They contribute so much to their home government and in return are protected as super states. They will not act diplomatically unless it is in their self-interest. Have you ever wondered why George Bush says USA economy is based on oil and they need to diversify? Is there a USA government Oil Company? All the other oil companies are the same. They are supported by their governments to buy out third world oil fields more than 50 years in the future. They do not need to measure or declare how much oil they take. Basically, they buy third world economies.
The interest of western Rich nations is to preserve the status quo. They went to war in Iraq to preserve the status quo. Paul Biya can stay as long as he wishes if that is the only way to preserve the status quo. It is obvious that to increase revenue in Cameroon, the government should put a sea toll gate at SEA, and count all the barrels of crude oil that pass out of Cameroon. THE OIL LEAVES CAMEROON WITHOUT GOING THROUGH ANY SEA PORT. ONLY A NAVY CAN STOP OR CHECK THEIR MOVEMENTS. BUT THEY HAVE FULL PERMISSION FROM THE INCUMBENT TO ACT LIKE THAT.
Overnight the crude oil production from Cameroon will double and the Cameroon GDP will double even at $5 per barrel. No body is hurt because if you are caught cheating and requested to pay your fare share of taxes by the oil company, they can hardly go crying. That will never happen while this Paul biya is in power. They all share the illicit gains form this undeclared crude oil.
That is the only valid reason why anyone should oppose change of Cameroon constitution allowing for lifetime presidents, not only Paul biya but also his successor. Else, we will never know the amount of crude oil that leaves Cameroon. The only effective opposition in Cameroon is the leaders of the trade union who declared a strike as soon as petrol prices were put up from 585 to 600 on the day the Indomitable Lions made great exploit in Ghana and all Cameroonians were too drunk to truly analyse.
Notice how Paul Biya cleverly focuses on the violence on the streets and avoids discussing crude oil. No politician has focused on crude oil production the true justified cause of civil war in Cameroon. No journalist who wants to keep his job can ask Paul biya directly about this crude oil production figures. I do not know what they are using to twist the minds of the people in positions of relative power who support the incumbent year in year out without resolving the crude oil issue.
Remember that what contributes 80% of Cameroon GDP is the real direct issue here not an article of the constitution, though that is relevant in the long run. The world will end because of a fuel issue. A civil war will be fought in Cameroon because of the fuel issue. Everyone should have an opinion on the Cameroon fuel issue. Until these real issues of crude oil are clearly argued by any party will I support that party, even if that party is Paul Biya's.
For now nobody should go out to the streets and be killed for nothing. The only reason I will go out on the streets and prepare to be killed is if I am fighting to know about the fuel that my country is producing and I am not benefiting fully from the proceeds.
Now, the ministers rightly claim that Cameroon oil is expensive because it is imported. Why is it imported? Because our oil is too heavy and cannot be refined in Cameroon. Only a senile mind will accept this argument. How come it is refined out of Cameroon? The only solution is to double the charge on crude oil that leaves Cameroon and half the charge on crude oil that is refined in Cameroon. This process should be repeated year in year out until the oil companies decide that it is more profitable to refine the crude oil in Cameroon before exporting than the other way round. This gives more opportunities for the government to measure the true quantities of production in Cameroon.
About 95% of the billions swindled by those in power is through this process of exporting unmeasured crude oil from Cameroon and importing higher priced refined oil into the country. I can claim to you that the price of fuel in Cameroon should be 200 frs or less like in Nigeria if this process of exporting unmeasured crude oil and importing refined oil is checked. Note that the by-products of crude oil refining is tar for road construction. Is this not the one singular reason why we are poor while blessed with resources like oil and other resources.
Any well-meaning citizen of Cameroon should pull their resources to resolve this issue for the benefit of all Cameroonians. Paul Biya has bought at least until 2011 to stay in power. Now is the time to plan to take over from the senile minds effectively after 2011.
Elijah JEMCHI
No comments:
Post a Comment