India has lost the first-movers’ advantage once again; belatedly waking up to the fact that African countries need to be tapped for oil. China has been engaged in talks with African nations like Nigeria for lessening China’s dependence on the Middle East for fuel. Express India reports the star of a two-day workshop of energy ministers in New Delhi from November, 6.
Twenty-five African countries are participating. Petroleum Secretary M. S. Srinivasan has started making the usual Indian bureaucratic noises that start such copy-cat events in India and then yield such meager results. He has pointed out how Africa is fast becoming a non-OPEC energy source for the world at large.
We must set this flurry of action against two facts. China has already poured in over USD 8 billion into African countries for oil in the last ten years and it has take, Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh to visit Nigeria last month to tickle our babus here to any action. Why has India delayed so long before acting?
We must refer to Natwar Singh and his son when we talk of India and oil. The duo has been accused of dealing with Iraqi-oil money and kickbacks from oil-deals. Thus we can reasonably fear that with future oil deals we cannot expect everything to be neat. Human nature never changes. Now this delay over knocking at African doors may be due to kickbacks received from China. Who got the money and from whom or has anyone really taken money for this slowness is pure conjecture. Albeit, interesting ones.
It can never be proved and corrupt politicians are always waiting with libel charges against any who imputes any stain on their pure heads. And since the expected answer is a strong no to every preceding question, one wants to know of the hefty-salaried government officials some questions. Why your delay? Do you guys periodically run out of ideas or just plain lack originality? Do you forget ever to take home your salaries in time? Pat comes, the answer. We were weighing the pros and the cons of everything.
The harm is done when the guys at Delhi were uselessly delaying; now the Africans already have more customers, they have more bargaining power and will suck us clean for any oil they give us. We are kept wondering whether it is right that such inefficient people be allowed to eat off our tax-money.
Via: Express India
Image: Zoos Worldwide
